Wish Upon A Star
by Bramble Iceweb
Summary: One night, a lonely Edward Cullen wishes on a falling star to help him find his mate. He never expected the star to take a physical form to try to grant his wish, nor did he expect to start to develop feelings for said star. Slow updates. Edward/Harry.
1. Prologue – A Shooting Star

Prologue – A Shooting Star

_"I wish for you on a falling star, wondering where you are."_

/Edward\/Harry\

"Edward, are you all right?"

Edward Cullen turned around, offering his father a tiny smile. The moonlight slipped into his bedroom silently, casting shadows and illuminating Carlisle's face slightly. "I'm fine," he replied softly. "Just thinking."

Carlisle smiled back, stepping fully into the room. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Edward sighed and opened the doors to his patio before walking out, knowing Carlisle would follow. He leaned on the rail slightly and stared at the beautiful, starry black sky. It was silent for a few moments before Edward unnecessarily licked his cold lips and began to speak. "Are they out there, Carlisle?"

Carlisle knew what he was talking about and felt his dead heart flutter sadly and replied, "I'm positive they are, son."

Edward didn't reply immediately. "I've been waiting so long…" he said mournfully. "I wonder if I missed my chance…"

"Don't say that," Carlisle admonished gently. "You don't know that."

Edward tilted his head toward his father. "What if they have someone else?"

"It's not possible."

"How are you so sure?" Edward pressed.

Carlisle walked over and embraced Edward in a hug, ignoring the clashing sound of stone on stone. "You're an amazing person, Edward," he said strongly. "I know how you feel about our vampirism and though I disagree with your lacking a soul, I refuse to believe that a kind and gentle man like you deserves to be alone for all of eternity."

"I've killed people," Edward pointed out with sad eyes. "What if I disgust them?"

"You won't; you made mistakes and you've learned from them. It takes a truly compassionate being to choose a different, more difficult way of life because it's the right thing to do. You _will_ find your mate, Edward. Try to be a little more patient."

Edward swallowed the venom that built up in his throat. "I'll try," he murmured. "It's just…I want them, Carlisle. I want them now."

Carlisle pulled away and smiled. "You'll have them before you know it, and I'm sure they'd be worth the wait." He paused and then continued with an amused expression, "Them?"

Edward looked at the sky again and grinned wistfully. "I just want someone to love me," he said softly. "I want to get to know and love my mate, regardless of their gender; something like that holds little importance."

Carlisle nodded his head, pleased with Edward's answer. "As long as they make you happy, you'll find no objections from us."

Edward let out a soft sigh of appreciation. "That means a lot to me," he said. "My…biological father…he wouldn't have been pleased with my preference. Or rather, he would have demanded my preference was strictly girls."

"You needn't fear rejection for something like that, Edward. We're a family and family sticks together—regardless of any disputes we may have," Carlisle assured him.

"Thank you; talking helped more than I thought it would." Edward said honestly.

"You should do it more," Carlisle teased. "Will you join us downstairs? Alice and Emmett are playing PacMan again; you know how amusing it is to watch them."

Edward chuckled, nodding his head. "I'll be down in a minute."

Satisfied, Carlisle left his bedroom. Edward glanced at the sky once again, smiling up at them; he really did feel better. It was as if a weight lifted from his chest and, though the pang of loneliness still resided within him, it was more bearable. He turned to leave when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Pausing, Edward gasped delightedly.

A shooting star had passed.

Edward contemplated himself briefly before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. '_Please,_' he wished gently, '_please help me find someone to love; help me find my mate, wherever they are.'_

"Edward, are you coming?" Alice yelled from the living room. "You're missing Emmett getting his butt kicked!"

"She's lying!" Emmett retorted.

Edward laughed softly before replying, "I'm coming!"

He walked out of his bedroom without a second glance. Unbeknownst to Edward, the shooting star that had flew past his house abruptly changed its course, glowing a soft, acidic green, and landing only miles away, ready to grant the lonely vampire's wish.


	2. Chapter 1 – A Helping Hand

Chapter 1 – A Helping Hand

_"Each of us represents a star in the sky; sometimes we shine with the rest, sometimes we twinkle alone, and sometimes ... when we least expect it ... we fall and make someone's dreams come true."_

/Edward\/Harry\

Edward moodily sat down, scowl firmly in place as he muttered complaints only audible to supernatural hearing. He loved living in this small town—truly, he did—but he absolutely loathed the gossip concerning his family. It was getting harder to ignore the whispered, cruel comments and jealous remarks. Those idiot humans were fickle and ignorant; it made Edward want to tear them apart.

"What's eating you?" Emmett asked with a raised eyebrow, his arm casually thrown over his wife's shoulders. Rosalie leaned into Emmett, eyeing her brother with understanding and annoyance.

Edward scowled deeper, rolling his eyes in the direction of a group of gossiping, giggling girls. "If I have to listen to them say one more bad thing about Esme or complain about how I won't date them, there's going to be a massacre," he hissed quietly.

Emmett guffawed loudly. "They've been like that all day," he said with no small amount of merriment. "And all year, for that matter. You should be used to it."

"Leave Edward alone," Alice chided, her eyes sparkling smartly. "He won't have any problems soon enough."

Jasper cocked an eyebrow and stared at her. "Have you seen something?" he asked her quietly.

Alice glanced at her husband. "What makes you say that?"

"You have that look in your eyes," he replied with a smirk. "Besides, how would you know Edward won't have any more girl troubles?"

"You know, it _could_ be because today is the last day of school and vacation starts, but, then again, I could be wrong, you know," she retorted sarcastically, a devilish grin spread across her face.

Emmett chuckled. "She's got you there, Jasper!" he cried loudly, his usual enthusiasm abundant.

Jasper rolled his eyes and ignored Emmett. "That doesn't explain the look in your eyes," he told Alice softly. "We've been married too long for me not to know the difference between your regular common sense, as prophetic as it may seem, and your actual precognitive abilities."

Alice pouted. "Ruin all my fun," she grumbled.

"So many big words," Emmett complained, frowning.

Edward and Rosalie laughed inaudibly while Jasper looked proud of himself and Alice kissed the smug look off of her husband's face. "You never answered the question," Rosalie said stiffly, eyeing the surrounding humans with visible distaste. "Did you see something or not? A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice."

"I _did_ see something, but it's really blurry," Alice admitted. "But I know something good is going to happen to Edward."

"How do you know?" Edward asked, sending an approaching human girl a stony look of annoyance. He inwardly cheered as she squeaked and ran back to her table, relaying to her friends her latest terrifying experience with the oh-so-hot but oh-so-elusive Edward Cullen.

"I just know," Alice replied, a tiny frown marring her features temporarily. "It's so odd because I've never felt this sure of _any_ of my visions before, but despite them all being subjective, I just seem to _know_ that this particular one will come true and it will make the family happier. Eh, I'm not too sure if that makes sense to anyone but me."

A contemplative silence fell over their table. "Interesting," Edward murmured, his voice too low for any human to register. "Mind if I take a look?"

Alice let out a delicate snort. "As if you have to ask," she chortled. "Go ahead; take a peep inside."

As Edward delved into Alice's mind, snippets of her vision overwhelmed his subconscious briefly. When she said the vision was blurred, she wasn't kidding; Edward frowned slightly at the pale blob. He could see the faces of his siblings and parents smiling at the blob happily, but the blob itself was fuzzy beyond recognition. Edward's eyes widened slightly when the blob's figure moved about and a very pleasant, melodious sound drifted to his ears.

It made his dead heart twitch slightly.

Edward pulled out of Alice's mind somewhat reluctantly, wanting to hear that harmonious laughter once more. "It's a blob," he told her, his voice taking a somewhat dry edge to it. "I don't see how a blob will be good for me."

Alice raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "Hun, were you aware that we could see your reaction to my vision?" she asked in amusement. "You looked like the canary that caught the cream!"

"Your emotions _are_ more light and pleasant," Jasper admitted with a tiny smirk.

Emmett guffawed. "Still don't see how a blob will be good for you?" he teased, pouting when Edward flung a piece of uneaten bread at him.

"That doesn't mean anything," Edward denied, getting up so he could throw out his tray. "Besides, Alice's visions are subjective."

"That was weak," Rosalie sneered though her eyes held a certain twinkle to them. "You'll have to come up with something better than that to fool us, Edward. Until you do, please stop insulting our intelligence."

"Yeah!" Emmett cheered, smiling at Rosalie. She gave him a saucy grin in return.

"Emmett has no such thing," Edward replied dryly, smirking at his brother.

Emmett huffed. "Why am I always the one to get picked on?"

Rosalie's lips curled into a small smile and she kissed him on the cheek. Leaning closer to his ear, Rosalie whispered, "I'll make it up to you later if you stop pouting."

Emmett immediately stopped pouting and grinned. "Now, with an offer like that…"

"I'm going to be sick," Edward grumbled, looking away. In truth, it hurt a little to see Emmett and Rosalie so happy with each other while he was stuck alone. Eventually ninety years of loneliness will catch up with a vampire, despite Edward still being happy that his siblings had found love in each other.

Jasper frowned at the negative, depressing feelings emanating from Edward. He opened his mouth to speak when the bell rang. "One class left," he murmured softly.

Edward stood up and quickly turned away. "I'll see you after school," he said somewhat stiffly before walking away. Shame wormed its way into his dead heart; he didn't like it when his loneliness, sadness, and longing for his mate clouded his feelings of happiness for his siblings. Despite that, he really couldn't contain the depressing emotions that swelled within him. Being alone for so long took its toll on the vampire, and the possibility that he would never find the one being that would make him completely happy deeply saddened him.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully fast. Edward was thankful that his siblings weren't in any of his last classes and that he had time to compose himself. He discovered a couple of decades back that, because of his telepathic abilities, he could hide some of his emotions from Jasper. Because it was a task that required a great deal of concentration and strength, he didn't do it often. He also didn't inform any of his family members that he could do such a thing; it was nice to keep just one thing a secret from the rest of the family. Nevertheless, Edward decided to use the last class to carefully tuck away most of the negative emotions away. He left some of his loneliness and sadness exposed so Jasper wouldn't get suspicious and bring it up in front of their siblings.

He finished tucking away the emotions in his little mental barrier the exact moment the bell rang, signaling the end of class and, thankfully, the end of another school year. Edward could already feel the strain on his control; his throat burned at the thought of warm, delicious blood filling his mouth and sliding down to the pit of his stomach. Just thinking of it made Edward go a little crazy. He walked hurriedly to his car, hopping into the driver's seat and breathing in the clean scent. He sat there, waiting in silence, until his siblings finally made it to their cars. With a nod at Rosalie and Jasper, Edward drove out of the parking lot of the school and made his way home.

It was only when Edward caught sight of his house that he fully relaxed. His supernatural hearing picked up on several animals travelling throughout the forest that lay behind his house and his throat burned more with anticipation. He sped up before breaking into a screeching halt in the driveway. Edward grinned softly as he heard Esme humming from inside of the house and smelt acrylic paints.

"Edward, you're back!" Esme said happily, putting down her paint brush as she rushed forward to hug him and stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "How was school today?"

"It was fine," he replied softly. "I'm really thirsty, though, so I'll be back later."

Esme cocked her head worriedly. "Really? It hasn't been _that_ long, has it?"

"No," he assured her, "but it was a rather trying day and everything just has me parched."

"Luckily Edward has good control," Jasper said as he walked into the house, the rest of his siblings trailing behind.

Esme cocked her eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You know Edward's always had a problem with humans trying to jump his bones," Emmett said loudly, laughing in delight.

Edward threw him a withering glare. "I'm leaving now," he said lowly. The thirst began to build and the animals scattering in the forest made him feel twitchy. Edward left without another word, ready to hunt his meal.

"You shouldn't tease Edward," the hungry vampire heard Esme chastise Emmett before his speed brought him further and further from the house. Edward paused and closed his eyes, the still-fresh scent of deer filling his nostrils. With a small grin, Edward began to run again towards his prey.

Besides music, running was another favorite pastime of his. There was a rush of freedom that accompanied the wind flowing through his hair. The exhilaration allowed him to push aside the reality of his lonely existence and the thrill of travelling at such speeds excited him. Peace filled his being and he absentmindedly wondered if having a mate allowed the same feeling to overcome someone.

Edward stopped abruptly and crouched low, his topaz eyes gleaming victoriously. The male deer five feet ahead paused and perked up, its instincts warning it about the predator in the vicinity. It was too late, however, as Edward used his speed to grab the deer and break its neck before it had the chance to run. He sunk his teeth into the animal and almost sighed in pleasure as the blood thirst was finally satiated. Edward finished the meal in silence.

A twig snapping had Edward standing up and turning around before he had any time to think. He froze, cursing himself for being so careless and not sensing someone coming up behind him. His eyes widened at the sight of the teenage boy before him. The boy had a mop of black hair that seemed to stick out in all sorts of directions endearingly. His skin was somewhat pale and he had an odd lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Edward wondered if this boy was the blob in

Alice's vision. Taking in his appearance, Edward gasped softly.

The boy's eyes were a beautiful shade of vivid, emerald green.

Instead of running and screaming for the hills, something that would've been appropriate considering Edward more-than-likely was a bloody mess, the boy smiled widely at him. "Thank goodness! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Edward blinked in shock, confusion sinking into his brain. "Excuse me?" he asked warily, eyeing the boy with no small amount of hesitation. The vampire was tense, ready to escape if necessary.

The boy frowned slightly before his smile returned ten-fold. "I've been looking for you," he repeated. "And I'm so glad to have found you! We need to get started right away!"

"Stay back," Edward demanded, putting more distance between himself and the strange boy. "Who are you? Why aren't you running away?"

The boy cocked his head to the side. "I'm Harry Potter," he replied. "And why _would_ I run away?"

Edward glared slightly at the boy. "I suppose you've not noticed my appearance?" he asked sarcastically.

Harry chuckled ruefully. "Do you want me to run away?"

Edward chose to ignore the question considering he himself did not know that answer at the moment. "What do you want?"

"No need to be so rude," Harry snapped. "_You_ asked _me_ for help, okay? I could've continued on my merry way, but _no_! I decided to stop and help _you_, so start being grateful!"

Edward practically growled at the mentally unstable boy. "I haven't even met you!" he snapped back. "How could I possibly have asked for help?"

Harry cocked an eyebrow, his upper lip curled into a slight sneer. "Hmmm… 'Please, please help me find someone to love; help me find my mate, wherever they are.' Tell me, does that ring any bells?"

Edward froze, his eyes widening. "How do you…?" he whispered lowly. "That was a wish I made. On a star. A few days ago. How do you know that?"

Harry snorted. "You're a bit daft, aren't you?" he questioned softly, his eyebrow arched and a smile tugging at his lips. "Do you want clues as to how a boy knows about a wish you made only on a star?"

Edward blinked and instinctively swallowed the venom in his mouth. "You're the star?" he asked in disbelief. "_You're_ the _star_?"

Harry's eyes twinkled merrily. "Indeed, I am," the star replied happily. "And I'm here to help you solve your mate problem."


	3. Chapter 2 – A Family Meeting

Chapter 2 – A Family Meeting

_"There are over a million stars in the galaxy; over a billion stars in the universe, but there is only one you."_

/Edward\/Harry\

"You're going to help me with my mate problem?" Edward repeated dumbly. "How? Are you going to use your magical starry powers and have my mate materialize out of nowhere?"

Harry looked at him dryly, ignoring the cynical sarcasm of the vampire's question. "I'm a star; not a fairy godfather," he said slowly. "Was the deer you drained high or something? Perhaps suffering some sort of chemical imbalance in the head? If I had known you were this slow on the uptake, I would've had a different star come down here to suffer the headache."

Edward growled at him once more and abruptly turned around, running in the direction of his house. He was surprised to see that the star—_Harry_—could keep up with him fairly easily. "What're you doing?"

"Look, I don't grant wishes often! I'm _going_ to help you find your mate and that's final!" Harry snarled back, his eyes glowing an acidic green.

Edward frowned. "Why do you want to help me?"

"Why _don't_ you wa—"

"Don't answer a question with a question," Edward retorted and stopped running, annoyed. "I'm sure there are other people who have wishes they want to be granted. Why did you choose to come and personally help me with my problem?"

Harry sighed and his gaze softened ever-so-slightly when his eyes met Edward's. "When people wish on us stars, their wishes are normally selfish. They want money, power, fame, or they want us to heartlessly disregard someone's existing, _happy_, relationship because they're madly infatuated or believe that they're "in love" with someone. But, your wish wasn't selfish at all. Not really, at least in my opinion. You don't want to force someone to fall in love with you; you just want to find your mate. And, honestly, I think you've waited long enough."

Edward swallowed thickly. "Well, why did you have to come all the way down here to help me? Couldn't you have stayed in the sky and worked some kind of miracle from up there?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Again, I'm a star, not a fairy godfather," he replied. "I don't have magic, so no miracle like that happening any time soon."

Edward thought he detected a hint of sadness and nostalgia in Harry's voice, but ignored it. "How is this going to work?"

Harry, who had begun to space out, glanced at Edward and allowed a big smile to dance across his face. "Don't you worry! I already have a plan of action that I thought of while I was coming here and I know exactly how I'm going to find your mate! But, first, I think I'll need some other clothes to help me fit in better."

Edward glanced at Harry and snorted in agreement. "Do all stars dress that way?"

Harry fingered the plain white robe that hung loosely over his frame. "We don't really have to worry about a fashion sense, or our lack of such a quality," he replied dryly.

Edward couldn't stop his lips from twitching upwards in amusement. "You look like a nun," the vampire said, trying to keep the laughter from bursting out.

Harry scowled deeply at him. "Because you're dressed so much better," he grit out sarcastically.

Edward immediately frowned and surveyed his own clothing. His jeans were faded with little rips stylistically trailing up the sides of his legs, courtesy of Alice, and his simple black jacket was left opened, revealing a somewhat tight royal blue shirt. Overall, Edward didn't think he looked too bad and, obviously, neither did the pathetic human girls that attempted to stalk him. "Whatever," he said lowly, shrugging.

Harry grinned slightly. "Now, are we going to stay in this forest for who knows how long or are you going to show me around your place so we can get started?"

Edward sighed and motioned with his hand for Harry to follow him. He wondered how his family would react to the help he was going to receive, or to the information that the boy helping him was actually a star. It was a lot to absorb, and he himself hadn't fully wrapped his mind around the fact that he was one step closer to finding his mate. Just thinking about it was enough to make him nervous and excited. Swallowing, he viciously stomped on the hope bubbling in his chest. It would do no good to allow himself to get used to something that was so subjective.

"I don't know how my relatives will react to you," he admitted to Harry. "A couple will undoubtedly be more…_hostile_…towards you than the rest."

Harry smiled at him. "I wouldn't expect anything different, to be honest with you," the star replied. "Family wouldn't be family if they didn't look out for your well-being."

"Do you have family?" Edward inquired curiously.

Harry stiffened slightly. "I used to," he said softly.

Edward winced slightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories…"

"Don't worry about it," Harry chirped, his smile and laughter obviously false. "How long until we get there?"

"It's just up ahead," Edward answered.

The rest of the short trip was in silence. Edward couldn't help but think that Harry's sudden appearance was not only strange, but somewhat disrupting and…warm. His senses were normally sharp, but he found himself slipping, and that was dangerous. If Harry hadn't been the one to catch him drinking his fill of the deer, someone else could have—and they wouldn't have reacted so calmly about it. His cover could have been blown and his family would have had to move again or, worse, hide for at least fifty or so years. Despite that, a part of Edward found that he didn't mind the disruption as much as he should have. Granted, he was thinking this only fifteen—or maybe it was twenty?—minutes after meeting Harry, so he couldn't be sure if he'd feel the same thing in a week or in whatever amount of time it takes to find his mate. Harry's appearance still made him feel stupidly warm and fuzzy on the inside. A small smile came to his lips; if the star really could bring him his mate, he'd be eternally grateful.

"Wow," Harry breathed. "It's beautiful."

Edward's smile grew at that. Esme had designed the house when the Cullens had first moved to this small, in-the-middle-of-nowhere town. She always took pleasure in the arts and crafts, and to design houses for a living truly was a dream job for her. In every house they'd ever lived in across the country, Esme had drawn up elaborate plans for the construction workers to build and then poured her heart into ever color swatch, piece of wallpaper, and furniture she put in the houses. The warm atmosphere of her designs, both inside and out, made her houses highly coveted by most.

"Esme built it," Edward told Harry, his tone just a hair shy of boastful.

"She truly has a gift," Harry said in wonderment, staring at the beautiful architecture. "The only other structure I can think of that'll compete with the beauty of this house is Ho…"

Edward raised an eyebrow as Harry cut himself off. "Ho…?" he questioned.

"My old school," Harry said softly, his eyes sad as he became lost in a memory.

"Stars have schools?"

Harry snapped out of his daze and smiled again. "Let's head in," he said happily. "We need to get started on helping you find your mate!"

Edward was surprised when Harry grabbed his hand and began leading _him_ into _his_ house. "I can walk by myself," he grumbled. "I've been doing it for over a century."

Harry paused. "You're so old," he said, laughing slightly. "Goodness me, do you need a cane?"

Edward threw the star a withering glare. "Vampires don't _need_ canes."

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, but apparently you need the stick removed from your arse," was the retort. "Learn to take a joke for what it is."

Loud, boisterous laughs erupted from within the house. Harry let out a very _manly_ squeal and hid behind Edward, using speeds that both impressed and amused the vampire and leaving a trail of glittery dust in his wake. Harry's eyes glowed again and a deep blush erupted on his cheeks. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

"You're not a fairy godfather, yet there's fairy dust all over the front of my house," Edward said dryly.

"It's not fairy dust," Harry retorted smartly.

"Star dust, then?"

"If you really must know," Harry drawled, "it's a mixture of meteorite and other nifty rock particles from space. I don't know if you noticed, but us stars are constantly surrounded by such things."

"Edward?"

Edward shifted his gaze towards the doorway, which now featured every member of his family. He looked at Alice and smirked a little before replying, "I found the blob."

Harry looked furious, huffing indignantly. "I'm no blob!" he hissed angrily.

Carlisle cleared his throat slightly. "Perhaps we shall take this to the living room?" he suggested, looking at Edward and Harry curiously.

Edward nodded his head and entered his house, gesturing needlessly for Harry to follow him. Harry smiled at the Cullens as they took in his appearance. Edward quickly went to his room to change out of his bloody clothing before returning and taking a seat next to Harry.

"Welcome to our home," Esme said warmly, though she regarded Edward and Harry with confusion. "I'm Esme Cullen, this is my husband Carlisle, and these are our children Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and you've obviously met Edward. Just who are you, exactly?"

"You mentioned something about stars?" Alice asked brightly, looking at Harry with barely restrained excitement.

"Well, my name is Harry Potter," Harry replied with a dazzling smile. "And yes, I did mention stars."

"Apparently," Edward filled in, "he _is_ a star."

"Right I am," Harry said cheerfully, ignoring the looks of disbelief, skepticism, and awe. "I'm here to help him find his mate!"

Carlisle blinked several times. "Forgive me, this is a bit to take in," he apologized. "You're saying you're a _star_ and you're here to help Edward?"

Harry nodded and kept his rant about mentally slow vampires to himself. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Why?" Jasper asked, eyeing the star cautiously.

"Because he asked for it."

The Cullens looked back at Edward. "You asked for his help?" Esme asked, her head tilting to the side in confusion.

Edward was thankful that he couldn't blush. "Well…a few days ago, I saw a falling star and made a wish. And, well, he was the star…"

Rosalie pursed her lips. "Are you really a star?"

Harry looked her in the eye. "Do you _really_ think I'd make up my being a star?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Being something that is generally sparkly and pretty isn't exactly boosting my man pride right now."

Emmett chuckled. "He's got a point," the large vampire said with mirth. He then paused and frowned a little. "Hey, we're sparkly and pretty, too…"

Harry smiled teasingly. "Ah, birds of a feather flock together."

Alice squealed. "You really _are_ pretty." She looked at his clothes. "I'm not sure what all the rave is up there regarding your outfit, but down here, honey, that's a big no-no."

"Fashion isn't exactly necessary in the sky," Harry replied dryly.

"Wait, wouldn't your parents miss you?" Esme asked worriedly.

Harry smiled sadly at her. "My parents died a long time ago," he told her softly.

Esme gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry," she said mournfully. "I didn't mean to bring up anything unpleasant."

"Don't worry about it." Harry waved off her apology. "It's fine. For all you knew, this could've been considered a rite of passage or something. It's fine."

"How do you plan on helping my brother?" Rosalie demanded as she fingered the hem of her blouse. She didn't like having any outsiders included in their family time, but she knew how important it was to Edward to find someone to share the rest of his life with. For him, she would tolerate the star.

Harry looked at Edward and smirked. "I've lots of ideas," he began, "but first, I'll need you to take a survey of sorts."

"Why?" Edward asked.

"Because I said so," Harry sniffed.

Alice laughed before her expression turned serious. "First, we'll get you some clothes! I refuse to allow Edward to walk around with you while you're wearing that…that…that table cloth!"

Harry flushed slightly. "Deal," he said softly. "Clothes first, then we'll get started on finding your mate. Anything else?"

Alice shook her head. "Not really. We'll be asking you questions while we're shopping; you know, the whole 'kill two birds with one stone' bit. For now, you'll have to wear Edward's clothes."

Harry hung his head. "Fine," he replied, somewhat exasperated. "I hate shopping."

"Don't worry," Alice said, an evil glint entering her eyes. "You'll grow to love it."

Harry barely prevented the whimper from escaping his lips before following an amused Edward upstairs to change.


	4. Chapter 3 – An Enlightening Trip

Chapter 3 – An Enlightening Shopping Trip

_"Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star, that somewhere you are thinking of me too."_

/Edward\/Harry\

Harry scowled at his reflection. "I look ridiculous," he complained.

Alice surveyed him with a critical eye. "I think you look great," she said, a smile spreading across her lips. "This outfit looks perfect on you."

Harry whirled around to stare at Alice. "I hate leather," he nearly hissed. "It's bloody uncomfortable and it leaves nothing to the imagination! My package is for my own eyes!"

"Don't you know that sharing is caring?" Alice asked, winking slightly. Jasper rolled his eyes at his wife's teasing.

"Alice!" Harry cried indignantly.

"Oh, alright. Go change, then."

"Perverted vampires," Harry mumbled as he walked back into the dressing room.

Alice rolled her eyes, eliciting laughter from Emmett, a tiny smirk from Rosalie, and wry grins from Edward and Jasper. So far, the past hour of Edward's long life had proved to be nerve-wracking and amusing. He still didn't want to hope too much in case he didn't end up meeting his mate, but an odd sensation inside of him told him he was being an idiot. An elbow nudging him in his stomach pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Relax," Jasper whispered soothingly.

Edward could feel waves of calm overcome him. "I hate shopping," he grumbled.

Emmett snorted. "You could've stayed home," he pointed out.

Edward's eyebrow raised slowly. "Why are you even here?" he questioned. "I don't see how this even concerns you."

Emmett pouted. "You wound me, Edward," he whimpered.

Esme playfully smacked Edward on the arm. "Be nice," she said softly. "Harry is the first star we've met; naturally, we'd want to spend some more time getting to know him. Besides, he's going to help you find your mate, dear. It takes someone truly blessed to care enough to help a vampire find his mate."

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "Esme is right, Edward," he chimed in gently. "Now, let's help Harry finish picking his clothes so that the process can begin, okay?"

Edward looked properly chastised and nodded, smiling as he thought how out-of-place their family looked in the dressing rooms. Other shoppers thought so too, apparently, if their awed and flabbergasted looks said anything. He scowled at some of their lustful thoughts and focused on Alice, who had began talking.

"So, Harry, how does being a star work exactly?" Alice asked, tossing a pair of jeans over the dressing room door.

"What do you mean?"

"Like," Alice began, "do you have any special abilities? How are stars born? How do stars die? How old are you? Do all stars have accents? I mean, you sound British, so were you born over Great Britain or something?"

Harry paused from trying on the other outfit Alice had picked and didn't speak for what seemed like an eternity. Jasper glanced at the door warily, too aware of the terribly sad emotions emanating from the being within the dressing room. Alice frowned, wondering if anything she said had offended Harry.

"I wasn't always a star," Harry said softly.

Alice blinked. "Oh," she whispered. "Um…"

"I don't really have any special abilities," Harry continued, ignoring the awkward silence that had settled after his confession. "However, I guess to the beings here on Earth, it'll seem like stars have some sort of super power. We can travel extremely fast, but that's mostly because of gravity differences between Earth and space. You see, stars are made differently than humans. That's why despite gravity being stronger on Earth, stars can still move somewhat faster than the average human."

"You almost outran me," Edward piped. "I'd say that was a hell of a lot faster."

Harry scowled as he opened the dressing room door. "I guess," he mumbled. He walked over to the mirror and turned around, surveying himself. "This is okay. It's a lot different than what I used to wear."

He either didn't notice or ignored the uncomfortable expressions on the vampires' faces.

"As for how stars are born," Harry plowed on, "I'm not quite sure. There are many ways for stars to be born."

Jasper hesitated slightly. "Do you mind…telling us how you were made a star?" he asked gently, unsure.

Harry glanced at him in the mirror. "I died in place of someone else," he said simply, "and Fate thought I was worthy enough to have a place in the sky until my Rebirth comes, if I have one."

"Oh…"

"As for how stars die, they explode," Harry said flippantly. "No star knows when his or her time is up. That's why we shine so brightly in the sky. We grant as many wishes as we can, if we feel the wishes deserve to be granted, hoping to help the inhabitants of Earth be happy."

"I don't quite understand," Carlisle said as Harry walked back into the dressing room. "Isn't there an average life expectancy for stars?"

"No. We die when we're meant to; no sooner and no later. This has been the way of the stars since everything was first created. It's our fate; we burn contentedly in the sky and help those who wish upon us if we feel so inclined until we die and are Reborn."

"Reborn?" Emmett questioned.

"Yes, Reborn," Harry replied calmly, walking out of the dressing room again. He looked at his image in the mirror thoughtfully. "This makes my butt look big."

Rosalie surveyed his outfit. "Those jeans are supposed to. They look good on you," she admitted begrudgingly. "You should take them."

Harry glanced at her, mildly surprised, and nodded his head. "Thanks."

"What happens when you're Reborn?" Edward asked curiously.

Harry chuckled in amusement. "What happens when you die?" he retorted. "You can't say for sure, can you? Some people believe they go to Heaven, some to Hell, and some believe in reincarnation. You just don't know. I guess it depends on what you've done in your life and what kind of mood Fate is in that determines your Rebirth."

Emmett shook his head. "This is so weird."

"So is needing to drink the blood of others to survive, yet you accept that easily," Harry replied with a wry grin. "You sparkle in the sun, you have venom, your skin is impenetrable, and you're immortal. Tell me, what part of you is actually normal?"

Emmett blinked, astonished. "Well, I…uh…"

"To a vampire, you're perfectly normal," Harry continued. "To a star, I'm perfectly normal. To humans, they're perfectly normal. That's why normalcy is in the eye of the beholder, Mr. Brawny."

Jasper chuckled. "He's got a point there, Em."

Emmett pouted. "Everyone is so mean to me."

"And to tell you my age, I would need to know the year and date," Harry said, his gaze fixated on the mirror though he wasn't looking at anything in particular.

"It's June 9, 2005," Esme said helpfully.

Harry blinked and nodded his head slightly. "I would've been twenty-five on the thirty-first of July," he replied.

Esme looked heartbroken. "You're still a child," she whispered sadly.

Harry snapped his gaze to the mother vampire. "I'm not a child," he denied softly. "Sure, I died young, but I didn't die a child."

A silence settled over them. Harry walked back into the dressing room to shrug out of the last outfit and put on the clothes he'd borrowed from Edward. He was pretty sure the vampires pitied him, and he felt more than a little annoyed at that fact. What did it matter how old he was when he died? If he'd gotten over it, he saw no need why others felt so sad about it. Edward's expression in particular struck a chord deep within Harry. He didn't look at him with pity or with sadness; Edward's topaz eyes, which Harry decided were admittedly beautiful, had pierced his heart with the warmth of his understanding and sympathy.

It gave him those odd sensations in his stomach, akin to butterflies fluttering inside him.

"Well, since we're done, shall we work on finding you a mate?" Harry asked Edward, giving the vampire a bright, true smile.

Edward swallowed the venom that had built up and nodded his head. "Yes," he whispered, his nervousness and anxiety returning.

Harry noticed his behavior and his smile widened. "Don't you worry; we _will_ find your mate."

"How are you so sure?" Edward asked skeptically.

"Because I wouldn't have been allowed to grant your wish if your mate didn't exist," Harry replied happily.

"Huh?"

"Stars grant the wishes we feel are worthy of being granted," Harry explained further. "However, like all societies, we have a system of government. If we want to grant a wish, but it isn't possible to do so, we aren't allowed to. For example, it's impossible for us to grant a widow their deceased spouse. We don't have the power to do that. However, if the wish can be granted, we're given a file with information about the wisher and then come straight down."

"Oh," Edward said softly. A tiny smile bloomed on his face. "So, I definitely have a mate?"

Harry's eyes softened and he squeezed Edward's arm in reassurance. "Yup," he said gently. "And if we don't pay for these clothes and get started, it'll take longer to find them, so get your arse up and let's go!"

Edward chuckled and led Harry to the register, fishing out his wallet. The rest of the Cullens trailed behind them, eyeing them curiously and eyeing Harry with some amount of suspicion.

"Do you think…?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure," Esme replied. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Race you to the car!" Harry cried, grabbing his bag of newly purchased clothes and ran out the store.

Edward rolled his eyes and chased after him.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged glances. "Interesting," they murmured in unison.

"I'm a little lost," Emmett whispered.

"Not surprising," Jasper muttered back.

Rosalie sighed. "We might have to deal with that star for longer than we thought."

"Is that…a bad thing?" Emmett asked.

"Not to Edward."

Harry stretched and set his bags down. "Anybody ever tell you that driving like that will break the sound barrier?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "What's life without a little excitement?"

"Whatever," Harry retorted. "Are you ready to find your mate?"

Edward pondered on all of the years of his pitiful, lonely existence. "I'm past ready," he answered softly.

Harry smiled. "Good. Let's begin."

A/N: I've received enough comments on something that made me want to address this to everybody at once and not just continuously reply to individual people. Despite the similarities, this story was **NOT** inspired by Stardust. I'm very flattered people feel that, though, since I loved the movie. No, this story was actually inspired by **SPOILER ALERT!** Ray's fate in the Princess and the Frog and several songs like Star by Bryan Adams, Dreaming of You by Selena, and Never Knew I Needed by Ne-Yo. Also, it seems like I'll be updating this story every 5-10 days, unless real life gets in the way. I'm in college and there are a LOT of responsibilities, but it'll continue to be like this until this story is finished. Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter!


	5. Chapter 4 – A Trip to Edward's Inner Eye

Chapter 4 – A Trip to Edward's Inner Eye

_"I have seen many stars in my life, but you remain the brightest of them all put together."_

/Edward\/Harry\

"Is all of this necessary?" Edward asked, cocking an eyebrow.

When Harry appeared mere hours ago offering to find his mate, Edward had been skeptical. In fact, even now he remained a bit iffy on the whole situation. After they returned from their enlightening shopping excursion, Harry immediately demanded that Edward go out and buy two dozen roses, sixteen long white candles, a very expensive cologne that took three hours to track down, and a book of sappy poetry that seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

Harry glanced up from his place on the floor. Truth be told, the star _didn't_ require everything he had asked for. That didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun. "It sets the mood," Harry explained with a smile. "Have you ever tried to answer questions and found that you couldn't?"

Edward nodded his head. "I don't see how performing this…er…_ritual_ will help me any," he said disbelievingly.

Despite his ignorance concerning rituals and séances and other voodoo crap, Edward severely doubted that the moves Harry had taught him earlier had anything to do with finding his mate. The steps to the ritual seemed more provocative and…sexy…and distracting. He was fairly certain there had never been a case of a vampire with memory loss, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember the stupid moves. All he could think of were Harry's hips and the way they moved, along with the shapely bottom that enchanted his eyes.

It made him feel like he betrayed his mate, despite not yet knowing his significant other.

Harry continued to light the candles, oblivious to Edward's plight as a wide smile stretched across his face. "The ritual is to provide the perfect ambiance," he replied, patting Edward on the back in reassurance. "When the conditions are right, it becomes so much easier to open your Inner Eye and see your mate. Not only that, but when you perform the last half of the ritual, the candles, roses, cologne, and that book of poems all come into play and makes the effects of the ritual that much stronger."

"What is the accuracy rate on performing such a ritual?" Edward asked curiously.

"Your chances of finding your mate go up by seventy-four percent," Harry said helpfully. "C'mon, Edward, what do you have to lose?"

"If you're sure," Edward said skeptically.

"Positive," Harry replied, the twinkle in his eye more prominent. "I'm a professional."

Edward stared at him for minute longer before the suspicious gaze finally disappeared. He took a deep breath before stepping into the circle of lit candles and sitting down. He blocked out his surroundings, more-than-thrilled that he had locked the door to his room, and closed his eyes.

As he began to relax, everything seemed to fade away. He could smell the waxy scent of the candles and the burnt scent of the lit wicks, but it strangely didn't bother him as much as it normally did. The animals in the forest continued on their merry way, but their prattle seemed too low for even him to pick up on, which was an amazing feat with his supernatural hearing. Everything was so quiet and peaceful that Edward was caught off-guard when Harry began to speak.

"Concentrate on the sound of my voice," the star murmured softly. "You're very calm and relaxed; your body is weightless, and you feel like you're floating. Now imagine that you're on a beach."

Edward gasped silently as he was suddenly transported from his room and landed on a tropical island. The sun beamed down on him, causing his body to glitter and sparkle. He glanced around at the people somewhat nervously, and was pleasantly surprised when the humans acted as if it was an everyday occurrence—like he was someone walking by with red hair or well-defined muscles. He looked down, experimentally wiggling his toes in the sand, and completely relaxed.

"Mmmmm," Edward unconsciously moaned, a sigh escaping his lips.

"The waves are crashing on the beach," Harry said quietly, "there's a beautiful sunset on the horizon, and there are families laying in the sand and playing in the water. Everybody starts leaving and soon you're alone."

Edward glanced at the happy families and watched with no small amount of dread as they faded from view. Like Harry said, he was alone, and he didn't like it one bit. Already for so long he'd been alone, and he was so tired of it. He needed the hole in his dead heart filled; he needed his mate.

"No," Edward muttered.

Harry caressed his face gently, soothing the distraught vampire though Edward was too lost in his subconscious to feel the gesture or even be aware that Harry had made it. He then lay his hand on Edward's bicep, ignoring how nicely toned it felt, and squeezed it reassuringly. "Walk down the beach," he cooed gently. "There's someone special waiting for you."

Edward was more-than-happy to oblige. The blurry figure on the beach proved Harry's words to be true. The vampire's pupils dilated slightly as he softly uttered, "Mate."

Harry smiled. "Exactly," he chirped. "What does she look like?"

"Not a she," Edward replied dazedly, a small smile spread across his face.

"He then," Harry amended. "What does he look like?"

"Handsome," came the soft murmur. "The most handsome blur I've ever seen."

Harry had to try really hard to keep his snort of amusement to himself. Without realizing it, he began to softly rub his thumb across Edward's hand as he continued, "That doesn't tell me what he looks like, Edward. What color is his hair?"

Edward tried to run to his mate, but his supernatural abilities weren't any help at closing some of the distance between them. He reached out, wanting his mate in his arms more than anything. When his mate began to fade, Edward remembered Harry's question and tried to answer.

"Dark hair," he said lowly. "He's leaving. Wait!"

"Focus, Edward," Harry demanded, taking Edward's face into his hands and staring at the closed eyes. "What else can you give me? How tall is he? What's the color of his eyes?"

Edward struggled to see, the frantic and panicky feeling in his chest only increasing by the second. He tried to run faster, but his effort was futile. "I can't," he began.

"Focus, Edward," Harry repeated sharply. "Tell me _anything_ you can about him."

"Uh, he has green eyes. Or blue, I can't tell," Edward said hurriedly, still subconsciously trying to run to his mate. Soon, though, the figure faded and his surroundings began to disintegrate. "H-he's somewhat pale—not like my kind, but at the same time too pale to be human. I ca—he's gone…_gone_…"

Harry smiled somewhat sadly as Edward opened his eyes and glanced around his room almost desperately as if his mate had appeared by his side. "Well, that's a start," Harry said softly, patting Edward on the shoulder.

"How are we going to find him?" Edward asked eagerly.

Harry moved to sit on the couch and stretched languidly. "Since you opened your Inner Eye, it will be that much easier to find your mate. Before, you had no clue what he looked like or that he was even a he for that matter. Now, we know he's pale, not human, has dark hair, and blue or green eyes. That narrows our search _significantly_. The more you open your Inner Eye and become accustomed to having it open, you'll be able to find your mate like _BAM_!" The star snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Edward startled briefly before he nodded his head, still feeling anxious and saddened by his mate's absence. "My mate isn't human," Edward began. He stood up and started to pace, expertly dodging the music books thrown haphazardly around the circle and taking care not to catch fire. "That'll be easy to explain my whole being a vampire thing, but how are we supposed to look for someone who isn't human? I don't suppose they have secret underground lairs or anything."

Harry laughed. "You'd be surprised," he said thickly.

Edward looked at the star. "What do you mean?"

Harry seemed fascinated with the fabric of his jeans and started to play with them. He seemed to prepare himself for something, though Edward didn't know what or why, and looked around the room. The star finally spoke up just before Edward was about to repeat his question. "You surely know that you're not the only supernatural being on this planet, right?"

Edward frowned slightly. "Well, we know about the shape shifters," he replied, a hint of disgust in his voice.

Harry let out a snort. "That all? Wow, you're seriously deprived."

Edward scowled, offended. "We may not be knowledgeable about other—"

"It's probably a good thing," Harry interrupted, cutting Edward off from his (rightfully) indignant speech. He stood up and walked over to Edward's bookshelf, running his hands along the spines with a nostalgic smile. "Ignorance isn't always bliss, but I guess this case is one of the exceptions."

"I don't follow," Edward admitted, staring at Harry with some amount of worry and hesitance.

"You know all of that mythical bullshit? Fairies, leprechauns, mermaids, trolls, ogres, and all kinds of magical creatures you read about in fairy tales?" Harry watched as Edward nodded slowly. "Let's put it this way: it's not bullshit. Those magical creatures all exist, and not all of them are as accepting as Carlisle."

"I…" Edward paused. "Are you sure? I haven't seen any other—"

"Just because you can't see something doesn't make it less real," Harry interrupted. "Humans don't see vampires, yet you're real. You had your preconceived notions about stars, yet here I stand before you, obviously not a ball of fire and trying to help you find your mate."

Edward nodded slightly, his eyes understanding yet still disbelieving. "If all of those creatures do exist, how am I going to find my mate? Who knows how many men with dark hair, pale skin, and blue or green eyes there are in the world?"

Harry scowled lightly. "Stop being such a wet diaper," he scoffed. "I already told you that the more you open your Inner Eye, the more you'll be able to see your mate. The reason why his image was so blurred was because your Inner Eye's vision wasn't exactly 20/20. It was the first time you opened your Inner Eye, so your vision is still that of a newborn's. We also have to wait twenty-six hours before we try to open your Inner Eye again or there could be some…_ugly_…side effects."

Edward cocked an eyebrow, but didn't ask. "Alright," he said finally. "You're the professional here. What do we do right now?"

Harry smirked, relaxing his shoulders and strolling over to the couch once more. "You haven't finished the ritual," he replied innocently.

Edward involuntarily groaned, his lips twitching downwards. "Are you _sure_ this is necessary?"

"I'm a professional," Harry repeated. "But, if you don't want to find your mate…" He made to stand up.

"No!" Edward cried, gently pushing Harry back down on the couch. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Think of this as part of a test of your character," Harry attempted to assure. "Doing this part of the ritual will tell me more about you."

Edward frowned. "I guess…"

Harry barely contained a giggle as Edward stepped into the still-lit circle of candles. Edward really didn't need to "perform the second part of the ritual" because, honestly, there wasn't any ritual. With the right instruction, anyone could open their Inner Eye. Harry made up the ritual because he needed to be sure that Edward was prepared for the battle and would be willing to do almost anything for his mate. Edward running out to buy all of the "necessary ingredients" for the ritual proved that he was making a tremendous effort. However, would he be willing to make a total idiot of himself trying to find his other half?

Harry didn't know why, but he felt his heart warm when he thought of Edward doing anything for his mate. It wasn't every day he met someone with total devotion to their other half. Harry turned his attention to Edward, who had begun to slowly dance whilst the star was lost in thought.

Watching the slow, sensuous movements made Harry reconsider his idea. He could see the muscles in Edward's body flex and relax, making him swallow thickly. At the back of his mind, the star knew he was probably eyeing Edward like Harry was the vampire and Edward a tasty lamb. He hadn't anticipated on his plan backfiring on him in such a horrible way. Harry was supposed to be and remain completely professional and helpful during this mission, and that was that.

"That's good enough," he croaked, stopping Edward from his task of bathing in the rose petals.

Edward didn't question him, happy to stop the embarrassing and somewhat seductive dance. "Are you okay?" he asked when he noticed Harry's eyes glowing.

"Fine," Harry squeaked, sitting upwards quickly. "I'll just be going downstairs now. Bye!"

Edward blinked in confusion as Harry left, a sparkly trail of stardust in his wake.

Harry sighed and slumped against the bathroom door. Having an attraction to his "client" was not good; not good what-so-ever. He stared at the sink in quiet pondering. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and washed his face. Staring at the mirror, he came to a decision. He'd continue to help Edward and be friendly, but he'd keep an emotional distance. It wouldn't do any good to fall for someone who was destined to be with someone else. Besides, he didn't know for sure, but he could feel that some time after this mission, his Rebirth would happen.

No use falling for someone when he wouldn't even exist anymore…right?

A/N: I know it took a while, but my sister was diagnosed with Polysystic Ovarian Syndrom and it's been a tough month. Updates for this story should be soon; I make no promises. Reviews would be nice.


	6. Chapter 5 – A Tiny Explanation

Chapter 5 – A Tiny Explanation

"_The brightest star I have ever seen was the one right there staring at me."_

/Edward/\Harry\

"How did it go?" Esme asked as Edward walked down the stairs. She stood up from her comfortable position leaning on Carlisle's shoulder and made her way towards her son. His dazed expression worried her somewhat. "Well? Edward, speak to me."

"Give him a moment to," Carlisle gently admonished, turning off the television. His other children exchanged looks before moving closer, sensing a family discussion about to take place.

"It…" Edward blinked, shaking his head slightly. "It went pretty good."

"So you know who your mate is?" Alice asked, practically bouncing in her seat. "Who is she? What does she look like? What's she like? Does she enjoy shopping? Can I take her sho—"

Edward winced and cut her off. "Alice," he spoke softly, "my mate isn't a she." He glanced nervously at his siblings. They stared at him, unblinking. Their minds were blank, giving away nothing and for a moment or two, Edward feared the worst.

"So?" Rosalie scoffed. "I already had a feeling that was the case."

"What?" Edward asked, more than a little shocked. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "How did you know?"

"Oh, please." Rosalie flipped her hair and inspected her nails. "You didn't even turn your head when you saw me; _definitely_ gay."

Edward snorted in amusement before he could stop himself, though his humor was a tad on the hysterical side. "So everyone that doesn't look at you with some amount of interest is automatically gay?"

"Yes," Rosalie said arrogantly. "But, it's okay. I forgive you for it. I mean, if you like men, I can't _really_ fault you for not taking my appearance into consideration."

"Who is he? What does he look like? Will he let me dress him up? Do I have a new Ken doll?" Alice asked in rapid succession, easily recovering from Edward's earlier interruption.

"I don't know," Edward said honestly, sitting on the couch. Esme immediately sat next to him, laying her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "What we did was…odd…"

Rosalie scrunched her nose. "I'm okay with you being gay and all, but, please, no details."

"What?" Edward sputtered, his expression embarrassed. "How could you even think something like that?"

Emmett chuckled. "You set yourself up for that one," he said loudly. "Seriously, you and the star did something _odd_?" He paused and scrunched his nose, imitating his wife. "I agree with Rose here; please, keep your sex life to yourself."

"That's not what I meant," Edward hissed, thankful that he couldn't blush.

Jasper smirked at the embarrassing waves of emotion rolling off his brother. "Sure, it isn't."

"Anyways," Edward changed the subject, "Harry did something he called opening my Inner Eye."

"What's that?" Esme asked curiously, her head cocked to the side.

Edward explained almost the entire process. He left out the bits of his performing the second part of the ritual because, frankly, if his siblings enjoyed making fun of him when he and Harry hadn't even done anything, he could only imagine how much they'd enjoy teasing him about the provocative movements he had to do. "Harry said that after I practice opening my Inner Eye more, I can see my mate more clearly."

"That's very interesting," Carlisle murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Can anyone do this or is this ability restricted to those with a gift involving the mind?"

Edward paused. "That's a really good question," he murmured. "I don't think he knows I can read minds, though, so I assume anyone can do it."

"So, you've been reading his mind without his knowing? Tsk." Emmett shook his head mockingly. "Naughty boy. You don't do that to people—er, _stars_—that are trying to help you."

"Edward can't read his mind," Alice said, throwing a pillow at Emmett. "Besides, it's not like his ability has a filter button."

"Wait, he can't? Why didn't you say anything?" Emmett asked Edward, stifling his chuckles when the pillow bounced off of him and hit Rosalie. His wife looked at him dryly, a naughty gleam in her eyes that promised a very interesting session later involving him tied to a bed and being taught the proper way to protect the woman he pledged his life to—even from pillows. He learned to recognize that gleam and was looking forward to it.

Jasper shuddered at the feelings of lust rolling off of Rosalie and Emmett, and moved closer to Alice. "It was assumed that Edward can't read Harry's mind because Harry is a star," the empath said. "And nothing was said since it was considered a rather easy and intelligent deduction that any idiot could make."

Emmett stuck his tongue out and continued to make eyes at Rosalie.

"And where is Harry now?"

Edward opened his mouth to answer, but froze. A low, pain-filled moan reached the vampires' ears and they looked at each other sharply. "Harry?" he called as he hurried up the stairs towards the source of the noise. Edward knocked on the bathroom door sharply, ignoring his family surrounding him.

"Harry?" Esme tried. "Are you alright, dear?"

"Stop," Harry breathed lowly, another grunt of pain escaping from behind the door.

Carlisle spoke up, "Have you hurt yourself? Do you need medical attention?"

Jasper grimaced at the emotional pain coming from behind the door. "He's not bleeding," he stated needlessly, knowing everyone would be able to smell the crimson liquid. "But he's really hurt."

"My…knee…" Harry whispered.

"I'm breaking down the door," Edward warned, waiting a few seconds before he light pushed it open. It came off its hinges and, for once, Esme didn't bemoan the destruction of her house.

Harry was lying on the floor, curled in a fetal position. His eyes were scrunched tight and Edward could smell the salt of his tears. "Sorry…my…knee…cold…"

Carlisle was by his side immediately, inspecting Harry's knee as much as he could without actually touching the star. "Harry, where does your knee hurt?" he questioned.

"Is he alright?" Esme asked worriedly.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Harry's form, annoyed that he'd been with her family for barely two days and was already causing unnecessary drama.

Carlisle gently placed his cold hand on Harry's knee and was surprised when Harry immediately flinched. The star's eyes snapped open and in a blur of sparkly dust put more distance between himself and the vampires.

Harry blinked confusedly and scratched his head. "Er, what are you doing here?"

"Are you serious?" Rosalie demanded, staring at him searchingly.

"You were in pain," Jasper offered, grasping onto Alice's hand tightly. "Edward had to break the door down."

Harry's eyes shifted towards Edward and the obviously not-attached door leaning on the wall. "The last thing I remember was washing my face," he murmured quietly, not like it mattered with the vampires' supernatural hearing.

"You were saying something about your knee. Would you like me to take a look at it?" Carlisle asked.

Harry stiffened slightly. "Bad dream, then," he whispered. He looked at Carlisle. "No, my knee is fine." He shook each leg and crouched to demonstrate.

"What was that about then?" Emmett asked curiously.

"Nothing," Harry replied somewhat distantly. "Sorry about that."

"Look, you don't have to give us details, but we need to make sure you're not going to harm us," Rosalie snapped. "You're still an outsider and I don't trust you in the slightest."

"Rosalie!" Esme admonished. "There's no need to be rude."

"I can accept him coming here to help Edward, but we have no idea what happened while he was in here!" Rosalie retorted. "We don't need to hear the details."

Esme opened her mouth to say something when Harry answered, "I was saying Mione, not my knee."

The vampires shifted their attention to the star. "Mione?" Emmett asked. "What the hell is a Mione?"

"Mione is…_was_…my best friend's nickname. Hermione Jane Granger," Harry said, smiling wistfully. "She was with me when I died."

Silence reigned. Rosalie looked a tad uncomfortable and slightly regretful. "I…"

"It's okay. I understand, truly," Harry said, waving his hand dismissively. "If I were in your place, I would be just as distrusting if not more."

"Why?" Alice asked softly.

Emotion exploded in Harry and Jasper staggered back at the force of it. "You were in a war," he realized.

Harry nodded his head and his face scrunched unpleasantly. "Unfortunately, yes." He seemed to wrap his arms around himself.

"How?" Jasper asked, shuffling closer towards Harry. "When? Where?"

"Let's move to the living room," Carlisle suggested. "Would you mind explaining it to us, Harry?"

Harry swallowed and nodded his head. "I can do that," he said softly. "But I'd like this to be an even exchange of information since what I have to say is incredibly personal to me. However, like I told Rosalie, I understand the need to protect your families and that having this information will put your worries at ease."

Emmett looked at Rosalie and wrapped his arm around her, bringing her closer to him. Rosalie took a deep breath and nodded her head sharply. "If you answer our questions, we'll answer yours to the best of our abilities."

Harry accepted the answer and glanced at his feet, missing the surprised looks the rest of the Cullens threw Rosalie. "Let's get this over with then."

A/N: Terribly sorry about the wait. You can blame life for hopping on her menstrual cycle and running my ass over. . I will try to update as soon as I can. The next chapter is half-written, so it shouldn't be long. Hope everyone had happy holidays.


	7. Chapter 6 – A Trip Down Memory Lane

Chapter 6 – A Trip Down Memory Lane

_"Most people want to be the sun that brightens up your life, but I'd rather be the moon and the stars that shine down on you in your darkest hours."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Harry accepted the glass of water from Esme with a smile. He took a sip, knowing full well that he was stalling and that the vampires, Rosalie especially, were getting a tad impatient. It was obvious that in order to fully accept Harry helping Edward there would need to be some level of trust between him and the Cullens. Honestly, he didn't completely mind telling them about his past. What did it matter anyway since he was dead? His time at Hogwarts was his happiest and he could share that with no problem. Explaining the war, his role in it, and his death would be somewhat difficult, but he didn't really mind talking about it. Ron and Hermione had always nagged him to open up and not bottle everything inside.

Harry wasn't really sure why, but he thought he could do that with the Cullens. It was strange; as if he needed the approval from the Cullens, Edward especially.

Someone coughing brought Harry out of his thoughts. "Sorry," he murmured. "Just trying to decide where I should begin."

"I don't have any awesome futurely powers like Alice, but I have the strangest sensation that you'll be starting at the beginning," Emmett quipped, shrinking back slightly at the glares he received from several different members of his family. "It was just a joke…"

Harry snorted. "That _was_ a good one, Andre the Giant," the star retorted with a grin. "You're right; the beginning is best."

Emmett was startled into laughter. "Not bad, little man," he guffawed.

Jasper coughed pointedly. "Are you really as young as you say you are? Because we know of no recent wars."

Harry's smile dimmed slightly and he sighed, putting the glass of water down on the glass table before him. "Before I died, I was a wizard," he said softly. "And there was a war in the Wizarding world for decades."

"A wizard?" Emmett asked. "Like, brooms, big noses, spells, magic, and potions? That kind of hocus pocus crap?"

Harry glared slightly at the tall vampire. "People have their preconceived notions about vampires and you're nothing like that, yes? Would it be too hard for you to refrain from having such thoughts until I can either confirm or deny them?"

Rosalie elbowed Emmett in the stomach. "Continue," she told Harry. "He won't make any more idiotic comments."

Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry for snapping. It's still a sore point," he apologized. "But, like I was saying, Britain and just about most of Europe was in a warring state for decades. There is a lot of prejudice in the Wizarding world, not unlike America's former prejudice against people of a different skin color. In Britain, if you didn't come from an all-magic family, meaning if you weren't a Pureblood, then you were nothing and never really could be anything. A lot of the old Wizarding families believed this."

"That's awful," Esme gasped. "This was tolerated?"

"The Ministry that ruled Wizarding Britain was corrupt," Harry said bluntly. "It's gotten better since I died, but there was even a time where people of lesser blood status were hunted and thrown in jail."

"How does this blood ranking work exactly?" Carlisle asked.

"Muggles are non-magical folk, Purebloods are magical folk from all-magic families, Muggleborns are magical folk from Muggle families, Half-Bloods are the product of Purebloods or someone without magic or from a Muggle family, and Squibs are non-magical folk from all-magic families. Are you with me so far?"

"Yes," Alice said happily.

"What were you, if you don't mind my asking?" Edward inquired hesitantly, almost afraid of insulting Harry.

"A Half-Blood," Harry said proudly. "I'm not ashamed of my mother's Muggleborn status. She was still a powerful witch and could've easily kicked a stuffy old Pureblood's arse with her wand tied behind her back."

Esme smiled but admonished him, "Language!"

"So this war escalated all because of blood?" Jasper asked.

Harry nodded his head and took a sip of water. "The belief that magic should be kept within all-magic families escalated into one of the nastiest Wizarding wars in the history," he said quietly. "One particular Wizard took it to another level. He attended Hogwarts in nineteen thirty-eight, I think. His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he was a Half-Blood as well. His mother was a Pureblood and through her he was the heir to a _very_ important family that gave him a lot of political power.

"The bad thing about these Pureblood beliefs about keeping magic within the family, however, led to a lot of inbreeding. As a result, his mother was…well, we can say that a pitbull in a dress was more attractive."

Emmett snorted and grimaced at the same time, making a very interesting expression. "Ew," he whined.

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "Well, because of her unfortunate lack of appeal, she dosed Tom Riddle's father with a love potion. She kept him on this potion until she bedded him and became pregnant. She stopped using it, however, when she thought he was completely in love with her. He left, though. The inbreeding had left her magic weak as well, and she died in childbirth. Riddle went to a Muggle orphanage until the time came when he was eleven and invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Rosalie cocked an eyebrow. "Hogwarts?"

"Yup," Harry said, popping the 'p'. "I went there as well. It was built by four incredibly powerful witches and wizards, but I won't get into that right now. Sad to say, Riddle was an outcast in the orphanage. That normally happens with magical children growing up in non-magical backgrounds. As the child grows older, bouts of accidental magic are bound to occur. He himself didn't know about magic, so how could he explain the unexplainable incidents to the people he was surrounded by?"

"Sounds awful," Edward mumbled.

"It is," Harry said with a faraway look. He took another sip of water. "As Riddle progressed in Hogwarts, his hatred for the Muggles that shunned him grew. He fashioned himself a new name; Lord Voldemort. He was arguably the worst Dark Lord in all of Magical History. Nothing could describe his reign of terror or the things he'd done to accomplish such a thing.

Harry shuddered. "It wasn't really hard to gather followers. He offered power and a new, purified world to the Most Ancient and Noble Purebloods. Riddle most certainly knew how to preach to the right choir. Soon, it became dangerous to stay outside in your front yard. If you opposed Riddle, you were dead regardless of your blood status. He was on a quest and nothing would stop him. Eventually people were too scared to say his name. He was referred to as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers were Death Eaters."

"But, he was just a wizard," Emmett interjected. "They were scared of one wizard?"

"He wanted to be immortal," Harry admitted. "And performed such dark and horrible magic to achieve that goal that I dare not speak of it. However, you can liken him to Hitler and the Nazis. The terror people felt was overwhelming. It seemed like it didn't matter who you were. Either you were with him or dead. There wasn't any other option." Harry smiled sadly. "But, of course, with every bad guy, there's a hero. My parents were part of an organization called the Order of the Phoenix who were against Voldemort's ideas and fought against him and his followers on a daily basis. They were the good guys…"

Respectful silence reigned for a few moments. "What else happened?" Rosalie asked with an amazing amount of gentleness.

Harry drank the rest of his water and smiled as Esme refilled it in a flash. "For a time, it seemed like Voldemort would win. Battles were fought more frequently with more tragedies. People were beginning to lose hope. And then my old Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, was privy to a prophecy. By this time, my mum was already pregnant with me. In no uncertain terms, it spoke of a child that would bring about the fall of the Dark Lord."

"A child?" Esme gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "How can a child defeat this powerful Dark Lord that full grown witches and wizards cannot?"

Harry smiled not unkindly at her, his eyes glassing over. "Because this particular child had the power the Dark Lord didn't. There were two possible children that could be The Child that the prophecy spoke of. One was Neville Longbottom and the other was myself."

Harry ignored the gasps of horror. "We both were born within a few hours of each other. Our families went into hiding when we were fifteen months old with the Longbottoms in a secluded Muggle house and my family under the Fidelius charm. The Fidelius charm ensures that the location of a place cannot be revealed until the Secret Keeper gives away the information. On Halloween of nineteen eighty-one, Voldemort went to the our house. He killed my father first. Voldemort offered my mother a way out; he told her that she didn't have to die and that he only wanted me." Harry smiled sadly, not noticing the tear that trickled down his face. "She refused though, and died protecting me. When he tried to kill me, though the Killing Curse backfired somehow. Voldemort fell to it that night."

Esme looked crestfallen. "I am so sorry," she whispered. "I am so sorry you had to go through with that."

"What of the other boy?" Rosalie asked quietly.

Harry swallowed thickly. "His parents were tortured into insanity. He lived with his Gran during our years at Hogwarts." He sighed heavily. "I'm the only known survivor of the Killing Curse, even though it was really my mum who did all the work, and for that I was known as the Boy Who Lived. I was dubbed the Savior of the Wizarding world and was treated as such. My first year at Hogwarts and consequently every following year I spent there, bar third, was spent trying to prevent Voldemort from returning. Ron and Hermione, my best mates, helped me with that. We were doing great until fourth year."

Esme moved to sit next to Harry, squeezing his knee as he angrily rubbed his eyes. "You don't have to tell us more," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Harry assured, smiling weakly. "Where was I? Oh, right. Voldemort had returned my fourth year and his reign of terror quickly began again. At first nobody wanted to believe he had returned. A whole year was wasted in denial when it could've been used for training." Harry shook his head in disgust. "What's that law again? If something can go wrong—"

"It will," Edward said. He blinked in disbelief. "It gets worse?"

"Much," Harry murmured. "Voldemort took over the school, the Ministry, just about everything. There wasn't really a concept as safety anymore. Me and my friends knew when the Headmaster died that we wouldn't be able to return for our final year at Hogwarts. Instead, we had a very important mission. Or rather I had an important mission and my friends refused to let me handle it alone. Without their help, I would either still be fighting the war or I would've died trying."

"Don't say that." Edward frowned, an unpleasant feeling knotting in his stomach. The way Harry had said that didn't sit well with him.

"It's true," Harry retorted. "And I'm not saying that to be humble. Hermione was the brains, Ron was the strategist, and I was the brawns. We completed each other. Hermione figured out what needed to be done, Ron figured out how it would be done, and I actually did it. That's how we won the war. After the Final Battle, things had steadily been progressing back to normalcy or as close as the Wizarding world could get. Death Eaters were captured and tried. A lot of people died, especially ones I cared about. However, a lot of them wouldn't have wanted us to mourn them for long, so we tried to get on with our lives.

"Before we knew it, two years had gone by. I had a job teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Ron finally proposed and Mione became a Weasley. She was expecting a boy." Harry stood up abruptly and began pacing, oblivious to the worried looks exchanged by the Cullens. "When a witch is pregnant, they cannot use magic during their seventh, eighth, and ninth months. Their magic would be needed by the baby constantly and to use it would be a danger to both lives." He paused in his pacing, a faraway look entering his eyes once more. "It was a Saturday when Mione stopped by. We hadn't talked in nearly a month and were due a lunch date before she finally gave birth in just a month and a half. Ron was an Auror—you can liken him with policemen—and had been called away on an important seminar.

"We were supposed to be safe. The Death Eaters had been captured and a peace had sort of settled in Europe. I guess that's why they chose that moment to strike," Harry said sadly. "Mione and I were on our way to lunch when we were attacked. They took our wands and broke them before taking us somewhere." Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead agitatedly. "I should've been more aware of my surroundings or something, but life had been too fucking perfect that I slipped. I messed up and that mistake nearly killed Mione."

"It's certainly not your fault," Edward said adamantly. "Like you said, you were both supposed to be safe."

Harry seemed to ignore him. "I don't remember how long we were captured for. I just remember that it was by lower Death Eaters wanting to extract revenge for their families that had died on the battlefield. Everyone knows the best way to get to me is to go after my family and friends. With our wands snapped and Mione seven and a half months pregnant, we were helpless. And then he aimed his wand at Mione and sent a really Dark Cutting Curse." Harry sighed. "I didn't even need to think, really. It happened so fast and everything's a blur, but I still remember pushing her out of the way and the curse hitting me in the throat."

Alice squeezed Jasper's hand tightly. "I…" she cut herself off, not quite knowing what to say.

"I don't regret it," Harry said, a rather large smile on his face that seemed to contrast greatly with the tears running down his face. "If I had to do it again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Dying in place of someone you love is a damned good way to go, so to speak. But I wish it hadn't been in front of her. _I wasn't supposed to die in front of her_. And the next thing I knew, the Aurors were bursting in, the Death Eaters were apprehended, and Hermione held me in her lap as she screamed at me.

"And as I bled out onto the floor, I just kept remembering all the times I'd pushed her and Ron away, tried to protect them because I knew there was a damned good possibility that I'd die in the war. But then we won and I lived and this great burden that I'd been saddled with since before I was born had been lifted off my shoulders. I could actually live my life and start a family like I'd wanted and just enjoy living the rest of my days in peace. As I died in Mione's lap, I remember wishing I had just a little more time."

Esme dry sobbed into her hands before she stood up and hugged him fiercely, mindful that he was still fragile and could break. "You poor, poor thing," she whispered into his ear.

"It's alright," he soothed. "Really, I don't regret it at all. I may have died, but Mione and my godson lived. That's the greatest accomplishment I've ever achieved."

The rest of the Cullens were silent, a sympathetic respect tugging at their heartstrings. "Would you like us to share information with you now?" Rosalie asked quietly.

Harry chuckled and wiped his eyes. "I'm a little tired right now, honestly, but perhaps tomorrow?"

"Of course," Esme quickly agreed. "Edward, why don't you take Harry…?"

Edward was by Harry's side before Esme could finish her sentence. His expression was unreadable as he led Harry up the stairs and back to his room. He cleared the remnants of their ritual in a few seconds and gestured for the star to take a seat on the couch.

Harry glanced nervously at the vampire. "You haven't said a word," he said quietly. "Are you alright with…that is, is my past a problem?"

The thought of Edward not accepting that part of him, for some odd reason, felt like a punch to the gut.

Edward didn't say anything for a while. Harry feared the worst for a few moments before Edward, faster than the blink of an eye, knelt in front of Harry and grabbed his face in his hands. "You are perhaps one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and I'm _honored_ you chose to help me find my mate," he said softly.

Harry smiled to the point of it hurting his face. The intense happiness confused him greatly, but he pushed it aside. He'd deal with it later. "Thank you," he whispered. "That means a lot to me."

A/N: This chapter is to make up for the horrible absence last month. Honestly, it's not my best and I kind of loathe it, but it's important that Harry explain his past to the Cullens. And now you know how Harry died. Honestly, the way he kicked the bucket screams Harry Potter to me and I hope you see it that way. Now, I feel that I must warn you: though this story will have a happy ending, cuz I'm a sucker for them, _**it will get slightly angsty**_. It's unavoidable. I've already got the last few chapters planned and whatnot. Also, one more thing to know: towards the end of Harry's explanation, I skimmed some of the events. _**This is because Harry and Edward will have one-on-one bonding time where he will elaborate and whatnot.**_

Reviews are more than welcome!

Update: Hi! Alright, I don't normally do this, but a review irked me enough to make me want to post it here and my response to it in an attempt to explain my reasoning behind the events in this chapter and further prevent other comments such as this one.

_**It's sad but you're REALLY down-play Harry's significance in the WAR..WITHOUT Harry, nobody would live, no-matter how MUCH you like that KNOWITALL WH*RE and ass ron.. Seriously, I believe Luna is smarter then that bi*ch!**_

Harry's character demands he be humble, modest, and he dislikes the spotlight. Would Harry really emphasize how important his role was when he's explaining the war to a group of vampires that know nothing of it? The Cullens are completely ignorant when it comes to the Wizarding world. Would he go in-depth with them the details of the prophecy and show them that if he didn't kill Voldemort, then Voldemort would've taken over and he would've been dead? No, I don't think so and I tried to write that out. Of course the Cullens are going to find out more about his life and the war, but right now, they know all that they need to know. All Harry ever wanted was to be normal. He can sort of have that for at least a few weeks before the Cullens realize just how important he was.

And as for your severe dislike for Hermione and Ron, I can SORT OF understand where you're coming from. At times I hate them myself. HOWEVER, the fact remains that Harry thinks the world of them. They are still his best mates and his first friends ever. For that bond, he will always love them and cherish them, no matter how annoying they get when it comes to Harry having his own life. Sure, Luna could be smarter than Hermione at some things, but Harry only met her when he was in his fifth year. He would've only had about four years to know her before he died whereas Ron and Hermione where with him since they were eleven and battling Voldemort for the first time. That bond is a hell of a lot stronger than a bond with an eccentric Ravenclaw.

(Sorry about that. I really hate having author's notes this long, but I thought everyone could benefit from the explanation.)


	8. Chapter 7 – A Less Fuzzy Mate

Chapter 7 – A Less Fuzzy Mate

"_Of all the shooting stars I knew, I never fell for anyone but you."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Edward watched Harry's sleeping form in amusement. He probably shouldn't have expected Harry to sleep like a normal human, considering the fact that he wasn't one, but he hadn't really expected _this_. Harry had fallen asleep on the couch in Edward's room shortly after arriving and he seemed normal enough. Because it was summer vacation, Edward didn't really have any homework to do or anything to study. Not quite wanting to leave Harry yet, Edward began to flip through his old records and cassettes.

And then it began.

As he listened to Claire de Lune for the millionth time, Edward turned his gaze towards Harry's direction. The star was still sleeping, but he was no longer on Edward's couch. Instead, he hovered in the air, curled into a ball, and was glowing. Edward paused, his lips twitching upwards. Occasionally Harry would readjust his position, though Edward didn't know what good that would do since Harry wasn't exactly on a surface to get comfortable on, and would moan softly in contentment.

It was amusing to watch, and also guilt-producing. He spent so long not being interested in anybody, and now that someone was actually willing to help him find who he was destined to be with for all of eternity, he was beginning to develop an attraction to said person. A part of him felt stupid for acting like the seventeen-year-old he passed himself off as. Another part, however, assured him that all was well and to not stress so much. It was confusing, to say the least.

Glancing at Harry again, Edward stood up and made his way towards the sleeping star. He stared, captivated, at the peaceful expression on Harry's face and pondered the information he and his family had recently learned. His dead heart seemed to clench as he remembered Harry explaining how exactly he died. Anger bubbled in the pit of his stomach followed shortly by shameful relief or something akin to it. The world was supposed to be safe, and instead of living peacefully, Harry was put in a situation that caused him to sacrifice himself for his dear friend.

It just wasn't fair.

On the other hand, as bad as it sounded, Edward felt somewhat positive that Harry had died. If Harry hadn't passed, then Edward would never have met him. Some other star would've granted his wish (or just denied it without a care) and the thought of that made his stomach churn unpleasantly. He didn't know Harry for very long, but he didn't want any other star. He couldn't really explain it well, either. There was an odd feeling in his gut that demanded he get to know Harry better. It was like a tug on his non-existent soul, telling him to realize that there was a _reason_ why Harry was the star to help him.

Edward frowned, confused. He didn't understand much about the entire situation other than Harry helping him find his mate. For some odd reason, his dead heart felt pinched at the thought of him being with anyone but Harry. Annoyed with himself, Edward scowled. He had a mate and he would be happy with said mate. Becoming attached to the helpful star would hurt him and his mate in the end. Still, though, something didn't feel quite right about his assumptions.

He spent the next few hours drowning in his thoughts.

"You look like a creeper."

Edward blinked in surprise. So lost in his thoughts, he hadn't realized that Harry had awaken and was looking at him with a small grin. The vampire immediately pulled away and faced the wall, pretending to fumble with his records to cover up his embarrassment. He could hear Harry yawn and hesitantly turned around. His eyes widened and he barely prevented a gasp from escaping him.

Harry was stretching, his back arched in a perfect curve. His shirt rode up slightly, allowing Edward to view the pale skin hidden underneath it. Edward's breath came in soft pants as images flashed in his mind unbidden. Images of Harry underneath him, his face one of ecstasy; of him and Harry in the shower, the water cascading down their bodies as Edward worshipped the star's naughtily; of Harry giving him his adorably crooked grin before leaning up and pecking Edward on the lips. They flashed over and over in his mind until he feared his brain fried.

_Crack_.

Edward looked down, vaguely registering that one of his favorite records broke in his hands. His pants became more frequent and he swallowed the venom in his mouth before placing the broken record on his table, his arms shaking with a buzzing sensation he'd only experienced before when blood lust had taken over his mind. Edward focused on ridding his head of the guilty images, realizing that he'd gotten aroused from them.

Harry chuckled nervously. "If you didn't like the record, you didn't have to kill it," he said slowly. "Though I guess that's one way to get rid of it. I'm not judging or anything, but I think donating them would've been a better decision. Then again, I guess Muggles don't really have record players anymore."

Edward tried to calm his raging body, but quickly discovered that having Harry so close to him after having thought of _very_ stimulating images wasn't helping his dilemna in the slightest. "Excuse me," he murmured quickly. "I need to feed."

And with that, the vampire ran onto the patio before disappearing.

Harry blinked, slightly confused. '_What the hell was that about?_'

Temporarily dismissing Edward's odd behavior, Harry glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. It blinked 9:45 p.m. at him in angry red letters. Before his brain could process any more information, Harry's stomach rumbled unpleasantly. Stretching one last time, Harry stood and made his way down the stairs. He could hear the other vampires talking along with the low buzz of the television. The calm atmosphere was occasionally interrupted as Emmett and Alice growled at each other, snapping out death threats as they used their supernatural speed to press the buttons of their game controllers. For a brief moment, Harry felt panic and fear. What if they changed their minds? What if they didn't want him helping Edward anymore now that they knew of his past?

Harry shook his head firmly. He hadn't been around the Cullens long, but their kindness and amiable hospitality had left a deep impression. It would be disrespectful of him to think ill of him, especially to Esme who had embraced him with the caring softness only a mother could provide.

"Harry? What are you doing awake? It's late!"

He smiled at Esme. "Humans rest during the night, but stars rest during the day. Why do you think you're unable to see us then?"

Esme made a small noise of comprehension. "That makes sense," she murmured softly. "Should've realized that."

Harry's smile grew. "It's perfectly fine," he said cheerfully. "I forgot at first, too."

Esme's face dropped slightly at the brief reference to his death before she brightened again. "Are you hungry, dear?" she asked kindly. "I can order you something from outside. I'm afraid it'll have to be fast food since that's the only thing open right now. We don't really have a need for food so my fridge isn't stocked at the moment. I'll fix that tomorrow, though."

Harry chuckled lightly. "Yes, that'll be great. A cheeseburger will be fine."

Carlisle nodded his head with a smile and left to get the food before Esme had the chance to turn around and ask him.

"Sit down, dear," Esme said, gesturing to the seat before her. "Edward probably won't be back for a while."

"He was acting a little weird," Harry admitted, his brow furrowed in confusion. "He said he needed to feed, but his eyes weren't even black."

Jasper hid his smirk in Alice's hair, murmuring too quietly for Harry's ears to pick up into her scalp, "I wonder why that is."

"Don't worry about it," Rosalie offered, descending down the stairs and taking a seat next to Esme. "He can be a little weird at times."

Harry laughed somewhat hesitantly. "If you say so," he said softly.

As time passed, Harry spoke with each of the Cullens. He learned how they died and how they met Carlisle; how they became a family and continued to move from place to place. Harry listened carefully, asking questions occasionally, and ate his cheeseburger upon the doctor's return. The same way he'd displayed his heart as he told them his tale, Harry listened as the family of vampires returned the favor.

Granted, Harry hadn't told them everything (and he felt somewhat guilty for the lack of complete information on his part) but the main parts had been covered. Still, each tale was just as emotional as his and Harry didn't feel as foolish for getting so worked up the previous day.

"Edward should probably tell you his story himself," Alice said, letting out a whoop of victory when her wrestling character pinned Emmett's and won.

Emmett pouted and dropped the controller, crossing his arms over his chest huffily.

"I know the gist of it," Harry said. "Remember how I mentioned that the stars have a system of government? Well, like I said, when stars decide to grant wishes, we're given something like a folder with some background information about the person who wished on us. I don't know all of the details about Edward's life, but how he died was in that background check."

Carlisle nodded his head in understanding. "Makes sense." He seemed to hesitate slightly before he asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a question about your story?"

Harry shook his head and gave Carlisle a disarming smile. "No, go ahead."

"After you became a star, did you visit your friends?"

Harry closed his eyes with a bittersweet smile. "No," he murmured.

"Why not?" Alice blurted out. "I mean, didn't you want to?"

Harry opened his eyes and exhaled gently. "Of course I did," he said softly. "But there are certain rules that need to be followed. As a star, I cannot leave the sky unless it is to grant someone's wish. That didn't stop me from watching over my family, though. Watching over them, however, was somewhat torturous.

"Hermione…she didn't take my death very well. The others were deeply affected by it, yes, but she was there when I died. She held me during my final moments, and it haunted her every night. I'm can't say for certain, but I'll be willing to bet that it still haunts her. I couldn't do anything for her or Ron or the rest of the family. Do you know what that's like?"

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered, regretting asking the question.

"Eventually," Harry continued, "the sky above Britain became forbidden territory for me. You see, I was so consumed in watching over my family that I'd been neglecting my duties as a star. The authorities had no choice but to step in."

"That's…awful," Rosalie commented, looking slightly haunted. She couldn't imagine watching her loved ones suffer, not being able to do a damn thing about it, and then forced away. It wasn't fair.

"That's the way it is," Harry replied with a shrug. "It sucks, but I've learned to deal with it."

The Cullen household remained respectfully silent for a few moments before Edward walked through the front door. He seemed a lot better than he had previously and Harry offered him a weak smile.

"Is everything alright?" Edward asked, unable to not notice the solemn note that hung in the air.

"Fantastic. Ready to find your mate?" Harry asked, his smile becoming more genuine.

Edward nodded his head. The guilt and attraction still churned in the pit of his stomach, eliciting a weird expression from Jasper. Edward cocked an eyebrow at his brother before directing his attention back to Harry. "Yes," he confirmed vocally. "Do you need me to run out and get more things?"

Harry's heart fluttered wildly as he recalled Edward's determination to do anything to help him find his mate. He shook off the pleasantly weird feelings before speaking up. "No. That was only for the first time performing the ritual. Now I can just use the candles and help you open your Inner Eye again. Come on, let's get a move on it."

Edward led Harry up the stairs, not quite trusting himself to follow the star and get a view of the deliciously round butt in those tigh—

Edward frowned and shook his head viciously, not noticing Harry's worried expression. Damn it all, he was not going to think about someone other than his mate. He was going to be faithful, loyal, and trustworthy. He was going to respect the fact that the star was with him _**only**_ to help him find his significant other. He was also not going to put himself in situations that could even have a slightly sexual reference, causing him to think of the star in such tantalizing positions agai—

Edward growled, furious with himself for letting his thoughts stray and completely mess up the mantra he had been telling himself for the past few hours. Harry was going to be a friend to him only and that was final. The brunet would no longer star in his wildly sexual daydreams. Nope. Not going to happen again.

A hand was grasping his arm gently. Startled, Edward turned to look at Harry and was captivated at the beautiful shade of emerald green the star's eyes were. They shone with worry and as Edward began looking over Harry's features, noticing the cute little nose, the lightning bolt scar standing proud on the star's forehead, and well sculpted face, Edward couldn't help but also notice the full, pink lips. The lips that were currently moving, forming words that didn't connect in Edward's mushy brain.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, snapping his gaze back up to Harry's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Harry repeated, biting his lip slightly. "If you're not up to this, we can try it later."

So much for not putting himself in situations that could have sexual references. "No, we can do this," he replied automatically. "I'm just really excited about seeing my mate again."

Harry looked somewhat doubtful before a wide smile stretched across his face. Edward noticed, however, a contrasting emotion flash briefly in Harry's eyes before it left as quickly as it had appeared. "Come on," Harry said excitedly. "Let's _go_, already!"

Before he knew it, Edward was sitting in the circle of candles once more, his eyes closed as he allowed Harry's soothing voice to wash over him. He relaxed completely, finding himself at the beach once more and feeling more ready and confident to identify his mate.

When his mate disappeared, he didn't panic like he had last time. His eyes snapped open and he viciously fought the wave of disappointment at not knowing who his mate was exactly. He took in several deep breaths, attempting to control the waves of emotion that overcame him. Edward licked his lips and looked Harry in the eye.

"I know what my mate is," he said clearly, hiding the slight sadness he felt along with the tightness in his heart.

"What is he?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side.

Edward stared into Harry's eyes, searching for something, _anything_. He licked his lips again. "A vampire. My mate is another vampire."

A/N: There ya have it. More Edward/Harry attraction. The chapters may get longer just because there's going to be about eight more chapters along with an epilogue. So, this story is almost half complete. Harry and Edward will end up together. Remember, Edward's Inner Eye vision isn't exactly 20/20, lol. Just saying before I get disgruntled complains, haha.

**Please refer to my author profile for a tentative updating schedule, and also check out my Jacob Black/Harry Potter crossover _Pleasant Dreams_**. Reviews would be fantastic!


	9. Chapter 8 – An Emotional Attachment

Chapter 8 – An Emotional Attachment

"_Star light, star bright, shooting star up in the sky…I wish I may, I wish I might, have this guy my heart can't fight…"_

/Edward/\Harry\

One week, three days, six hours, forty-five minutes, and seventeen seconds had passed.

Not that Edward was counting. He ran his hand through his bronze-colored hair and sighed irritably. Ever since he had told Harry that his mate was a vampire, there had been a sort of awkwardness between them. Something had flashed in Harry's eyes, but it was gone before Edward had the chance to identify it. His dead heart clenched painfully. He felt angry with himself—angry because a good part of him (possibly the majority) felt disappointed that his mate wasn't a brave, noble, sexy, kind, and amazing star. Another part (possibly the minority) tried to harshly stomp that terribly bitter feeling, but it didn't work.

Confused, angry, and feeling strangely empty, Edward tried to avoid Harry. It was hard, though. He couldn't stand to look in those beautiful emerald pools and see hurt, confusion, and sadly enough acceptance. Still, Edward couldn't stop the excuses to not open his Inner Eye from pouring from his lips, nor could he stop the growing bitterness in his chest. It was getting harder to mask the ugly feelings from Jasper. Edward knew he had to do something, and do it quick.

He'd only avoided Harry for one week, three days, six hours, fifty-six minutes, and forty-nine seconds, but it was one week, three days, six hours, fifty-six minutes, and forty-nine seconds too long.

Mind made up, Edward walked down the stairs and cleared his throat gently. It wasn't necessary, but Edward had been torturously avoiding Harry for a while. The least he could do was inform Harry (and the rest of his family) where he was going.

The minute he saw Harry, however, his chest burst with a plethora of emotions. Jasper flinched against Alice, making her glance at him and consequently lose the game she'd been playing. Alice then directed her attention back to Edward, a frown at her lips. She, along with the rest of the family, had been forced to make excuses to Harry and attempt to explain Edward's deplorable behavior. They hadn't known the star very long, but he didn't deserve Edward being an ass to him.

"I need to go speak with Carlisle," Edward said softly, ignoring the snarling thoughts of Rosalie, worried ponders of Esme, and questioning glances from Harry. "I should be back in an hour."

He didn't wait for a response. Grabbing his jacket and car keys, Edward walked out of the front door and hopped into his Volvo. He glanced at the house one last time, where he could hear Harry quietly asking Esme if he'd done something to upset Edward, and drove off. The drive to the hospital was quiet, almost solemn. Edward glanced at the mirror and turned it away from him.

He needed to speak with Carlisle about all of his conflicting emotions.

When he arrived at the hospital and quietly asked the night nurse if his father was available, wariness and nervousness held him in their grasp. He sat down as the nurse paged Carlisle, though Edward knew Carlisle had already heard him in the lobby, and shook his leg impatiently.

"Edward? What are you doing here so late?"

Edward stood up at the sound of Carlisle's voice and leaned in close, saying softly, "I need to talk to you."

Carlisle looked him over before nodding, gesturing for Edward to follow him into the empty break room. "Is everything alright?" he asked as he sat down.

Edward began to pace, worrying his bottom lip as he tried to think of the right way to blurt out what the hell he was feeling. "I'm so fucking confused," he began, running his hand through his hair again. "Carlisle, I don't know what to do?"

The older vampire had a clue why, but asked, "What about?"

"I really want my mate," Edward said as he stopped pacing and sat across from Carlisle. He leaned in close, his eyes widening slightly. "I've waited a few lifetimes for my mate, and I really want him."

"Yes, that's why Harry is helping you."

"That's the thing," Edward blurted out. "I barely know him, but I have…the thing is…I'm attracted to him. There's like this string pulling me towards him, and I want him."

Carlisle nodded diplomatically. "Yes, Jasper informed us of your…_attraction_…when you went to 'feed' last time."

Edward swallowed thickly and ignored Carlisle's air quotations. "When I opened my Inner Eye last week, I could see my mate. I could see him, Carlisle, and he's a vampire."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"Positive," Edward replied in dismay. "He glittered in the sun, Carlisle. How many creatures do that?"

"Harry does that," Carlisle pointed out.

"Not in the sun. Hell, Harry doesn't even really go out in the sun. He sleeps during the day, and whenever he does sparkle, it makes his eyes glow this really nice shade of green. And—" Edward cut himself off, realizing he was rambling. "I don't even know what I'm saying. I'm so lost and confused."

"Lost and confused about what? Your attraction to Harry?"

"Yes," Edward growled, glaring at his hands. "I shouldn't feel so attracted to him. He's helping me find my mate, and I'm very grateful for that, but I'm scared to let him continue. I don't…I don't want him to keep opening my Inner Eye, Carlisle. I feel horrible and I'm disgusted with myself, but I don't…I just don't want to see my mate." He closed his eyes in shame.

"Why not, Edward?" Carlisle asked softly, leaning forward.

Edward exhaled shakily and looked up, reminding Carlisle of the scared seventeen-year-old he'd met in Chicago dying of the Spanish Influenza epidemic. "Because my mate's not Harry," he choked out. "And it's the strangest thing because I haven't known Harry that long, but ever since I met him, I just keep getting these vibes and these feelings pulling me towards him. Like he's actually a planet and I just need to gravitate towards him.

"I learned about his past; he shared something highly personal and I've never felt so protective of someone. It was different than wanting to protect the family, Carlisle. The protectiveness that he evoked within me was more feral; almost animalistic. When I found out about my mate, I should've been happy. I should've been ecstatic that I was a step closer to finding my mate and having that fairy tale ending that everyone else has. Instead, I was disappointed and angry and hurt. It's all so confusing and I don't know what to do. I can't avoid him forever, but I can't be around him, either. I don't even know who my mate is and I'm already betraying him; it's disgusting."

Carlisle reached out and squeezed Edward's knee. "When I saw Esme for the first time, I immediately felt a pull towards her," the doctor said suddenly. "It was like a tug at my soul and I wanted to know everything about her. When she died and I made her into a vampire, I could recognize her more as my mate. She was drawn to me as well, even when she was human. It became a lot stronger after she was turned."

Edward listened with rapt attention, staring at his hands in his lap and at Carlisle's hand squeezing his knee. "What are you saying?" he asked tiredly.

"I'm saying, have you ever considered that maybe Harry _is_ your mate?" Carlisle looked hesitant, not wanting to give Edward false hope but not wanting Edward to brush off the possibility so quickly.

Edward blinked. "Carlisle, he isn't a vampire," he said slowly, trying to get make the other vampire understand him.

"No," Carlisle agreed, "but he could be."

Edward shook his head. "No," he denied. "I wouldn't damn him like that, Carlisle. He's too special to live this lifestyle."

Carlisle stared at Edward sadly. "He could make you happy, Edward."

"I have a mate, Carlisle," Edward repeated. He closed his eyes tightly and squeezed his hands together. "Before Harry, I would've given anything to have my mate with me."

"And now?" Carlisle asked gently.

"And now, I would give anything to have my mate be Harry," Edward admitted, opening his eyes and exposing Carlisle to his raw, tortured expression. "I know you must be disappointed with me. Heck, I'm disappointed with myself. I have a mate, and yet I want someone else. It's…disgraceful. But, I can't help it. I just want…"

Carlisle moved out of his chair and knelt in front of Edward, holding his son's face in his hands. "Edward, I am not disappointed in you," he told him gently. "I understand what you're feeling, son. I also understand that your Inner Eye vision isn't perfect. Do not assume that after the second time you opened it that your assumptions about your mate being a vampire is correct. By pushing Harry away, you are hurting both him and yourself. Wait a little longer, Edward. Be completely sure that he is not your mate and then decide where to go from there."

Edward stared into Carlisle's eyes, searching for and easily finding the truth and sincerity in the words. "What if Harry isn't my mate?" he asked quietly. "I want him more than I've ever wanted anyone, Carlisle. What do I do if he's not the one? I'm not sure if I could handle that…"

Carlisle stood and pulled Edward into a hug. "That's what you have us for, Edward," he whispered in his son's hair. "Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. We'll be here for you no matter what."

They remained silent for a few moments before Edward pulled away and gave the other vampires a tiny smile. "Thank you, Carlisle," he said softly.

Carlisle returned the smile ten-fold before his features became serious once more. "I meant it, Edward," he said sincerely. "We'll be here when you need us." His expression changed and his tone seemed a little more reprimanding," Now you need to go back home and apologize to Harry. He's been very sad since you started avoiding him."

Edward was already out of the room, nodding his head as he jogged out of the hospital at a human's speed. '_I'm sorry, Harry…_'

A/N: Here it is. Feedback is very much appreciated! ^_^ I hope everyone is enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing this. There won't be any sex (unless suggested otherwise), but I wonder if I should up the rating to M because of the raunchy fantasy that will feature in the next chapter. What do you think? Also, I have a poll on my profile concerning this story. Please vote; thanks!


	10. Chapter 9 – An Apology

Chapter 9 – An Apology

"_A match can light up a fire, a star can light up the sky, but you are the only one that can light up my heart."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Harry sighed sadly as Edward left the house. Ever since he'd discovered that Edward's mate was a vampire, Edward had begun to ignore him. It hurt Harry more than the star thought it could. The rest of the Cullens assured him that he hadn't done anything wrong, but why else would Edward act like he was suddenly a horrible disease?

The star frowned thoughtfully. He was terribly confused. Had he somehow overstepped his bounds in an attempt to help Edward? He didn't think so, but maybe Edward felt differently. The more he thought about it, though, the angrier he grew. If Edward had a problem with him, then he should've been completely upfront so that they could maintain their professional relationship! Harry didn't just go back to Earth just for anybody, nor did he talk about his past. He'd only did that with the Cullens because…well, he didn't honestly know himself why he'd shared such personal information with the vampire family. The only thing going through his head was the need to be accepted by Edward's family, and wasn't _that_ even _more_ confusing?

Harry stood up and excused himself, ignoring the worried looks Esme sent him. He became familiar once again with the bathroom and sat on the floor, resting his head against the cool tiles. Harry breathed deeply, trying to calm down. He was still angry, yes, but his emotions were beginning to make him feel a little queasy. Weakly, he stood up and turned on the bathroom sink. He washed his face with shaky hands and stared at his reflection.

His skin was paler and his eyes were slightly dulled. Being on Earth had certainly taken its toll on him, which was somewhat odd since it never happened with the wishes he'd granted before. He narrowed his eyes in thought. No, this hadn't happened to him before, but his gut was telling him that this was…

…but wasn't it too soon? He hadn't even helped Edward yet! It was _way_ too soon for him to be r—

A knock interrupted his troubling thoughts. "Harry, are you alright?" Esme asked softly, staring worriedly at the door.

"Fine," he replied evenly.

"Edward's here," the motherly vampire informed him. "He wants to talk to you."

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. "Oh?" He glared at his reflection, upset that some of his hurt and anger bled into his voice.

"He's in his bedroom." Esme hesitated before she said, "Harry, I know Edward's behavior has been off and completely unacceptable, but could you hear him out? He really isn't like this usually, and I'm sure he has an explanation for it."

Harry sighed as he turned off the bathroom sink and dried his face and hands with a soft, plush towel. He left the bathroom and gave Esme a small smile. "I'll listen to him," he said quietly.

Esme took in his appearance with sad eyes, mistakenly assuming that his unhealthy-looking state was caused by Edward. She hugged him gently. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly.

"I don't know what you're apologizing for," Harry lied. He knew he didn't look his best, but he didn't think he'd changed that drastically.

Esme smiled sadly. "Well, we're going to go feed and give you and Edward some privacy," she murmured gently.

Harry nodded his head and stepped away from her embrace, watching as she disappeared down the stairs. Walking to Edward's room had to have been one of the longest eight foot walks he'd ever had. He mentally prepared for all kinds of situations. For some reason, when he thought of Edward telling him he wasn't needed anymore, his heart clenched uncomfortably; painfully. He scowled. If Edward didn't want his help anymore, that was fine and dandy. He'd sure as hell give him a piece of his mind, though!

Before he knew it, he was in front of the door to Edward's room. He took in a deep breath and squared his shoulders before opening the door and walking through it. He could spot the vampire by the patio door, the night sky illuminating his form. It made his heart skip a few beats; he'd never completely noticed how absolutely gorgeous the vampire was until he could see the soft glow of the moon and the stars casting shadows along the strong outline of Edward's face.

He blushed slightly when he realized that he was staring at Edward like he was a tasty morsel.

An awkward silence filled the air. Harry averted his gaze for a few moments before peering at Edward again through his lashes. The star shifted uncomfortably as topaz eyes bore into his emerald ones.

"I'm sorry," Edward apologized. "I've been a jerk to you all week and you didn't deserve it."

"A right jackarse, you've been," Harry agreed dryly, some pain seeping into his voice. "I'm really confused, though. I mean, did I do something wrong? 'Cuz if I did, you should've told me straight away instead of ignoring me!"

Harry panted, his face flushed once more but with anger this time. All he could remember was being confused and hurt all of last week and it being Edward's fault. If he hadn't deserved it, then why the hell did Edward behave like he was the freak the Dursleys always accused him of being? In a way, it reminded him of Ron; on his side one moment, but easily turning on him the next and even crawling back to him afterwards.

The thought of it made his stomach churn and he paled unpleasantly again, scowling.

Edward winced at Harry's angry expression. "You're completely right," he said quickly, noticing that Harry was starting to glow ominously. "The way I acted was immature and rude and you've done nothing to warrant such behavior."

"You're right, I didn't," Harry snapped. "Why were you acting so weird, anyways? Huh?"

Edward's face screwed up somewhat humorously. He seemed to be attempting to gather whatever courage he had before he opened his mouth and said, "I had a…personal problem."

"A personal problem?" Harry asked dubiously. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You know, I can respect your privacy and everything, but I think I deserve more of an explanation than that half-arsed one you just gave me."

Edward walked away from the patio doors and took a seat on the couch, gesturing for Harry to sit next to him. He waited until the star was right next to him and he moved closer, shivering lightly at the scent of Harry's sandalwood body wash coming over his senses. "I've been waiting for my mate for a long time," he began softly. "And the thought of actually finding my mate terrified me."

He didn't say _why_ finding his mate scared him so and, unless his mate _did_ turn out to be Harry, the star would never find out.

Harry's eyes softened. He was still angry, but warmth and compassion entered his eyes. "I don't think I can completely forgive you just yet, but I guess I can understand why you would be scared," he said quietly. "But, Edward, you have to understand, your mate was _made_ for you. You don't have to be scared of anything. He'll be everything you've ever hoped for, I promise."

Edward stared into the emerald pools of sincerity and felt himself melt a little. He felt like he was hoping against hope that Harry was his mate. The thought of having the star with him for all eternity was tempting and he could feel himself become aroused.

"Thank you," he said softly. "It means a lot."

Harry beamed at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but yawned widely instead. He blushed and giggled slightly. "I'm kind of tired, so I think I'll take a nap," he said, smiling tiredly. "We'll open your Inner Eye when I get up, okay?"

Edward nodded his head and stood up, adjusting his pants to cover his growing erection. "Sleep well, Harry," he purred lowly. He grinned a little and turned away from Harry when the star's tiny shiver caused his lower anatomy to twitch appreciatively.

Edward watched as Harry fell asleep before quietly leaving his room. He desperately hoped that his Inner Eye revealed Harry as his mate. If he wasn't, Edward wasn't quite sure how he'd react. The tug at his entire being towards Harry was so strong and he could feel in the back of his mind that Harry could make him happy; that Harry could be the one he'd been searching for. It'd work out in the end—he could feel it.

A/N: From the poll, I was able to conclude two things. One: I'm not the only pervert, lol. Two: Out of the 600+ people that have this story on their favorites/alerts, only 60 voted. Kind of disappointing, but it was still more than I expected. So, as a result, I've decided to keep my account in good standing and have this story maintaining it's T rating. On the adult-friendly fanfiction sites will be the more salacious parts (**like the end of this chapter**) and the links to my accounts are at the top of my profile. So, yes, please review.


	11. Chapter 10 – A Mate for Edward

Chapter 10 – A Mate for Edward

"_You're my shooting star because everything I've ever wished for is everything you are."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Harry didn't normally consider himself a cruel person, but at the moment, he supposed the adjective described him.

Really, Edward deserved it. Even though Harry could understand the vampire's reasons, it didn't quite excuse Edward ignoring Harry. Therefore, the Marauder in him crept out to play and poor Edward had to suffer the consequences. He'd learn his lesson.

"Why do you need this disguise again?" Emmett asked confusedly.

"Because Edward, in his infinite wisdom, managed to block his Inner Eye," Harry said as Rosalie continued to apply the cover-up to his forehead. He inwardly cackled at Edward's guilty expression and focused on presenting a serious face. "What happens when you have an infection in your eye?"

"You go to the eye doctor," Alice chirped helpfully.

"Exactly. In order to attempt to repair the damage done to his Inner Eye, Edward needs to see a healer specially trained in that branch of Divination. Normally centaurs are the best choice; they constantly open their Inner Eyes and help other creatures do the same," Harry explained, smiling at Rosalie and admiring his unblemished forehead. He accepted the blonde wig Edward had picked up earlier and carefully tucked away his black locks. Next, he took the contact lenses from Carlisle and gently put them on.

Edward frowned slightly; he liked the way Harry had looked before.

"You still haven't explained why you need it," Emmett muttered petulantly.

"I saved the Wizarding world from the worst Dark Lord of all time," Harry said bluntly, surveying himself in the mirror. "That made me the number one celebrity and most sought out bachelor when I was alive. Can you imagine the Savior of the Wizarding world back from the dead and taking a stroll in the Quivira Shopping District with a group of vampires? That would be _very_ bad."

Emmett thought about it and then nodded his head thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

Harry beamed. "Great. Now, let's go. The sooner we do this, the sooner we find Edward his mate. Who's car am I…Edward? Edward, are you okay?"

Edward blinked and turned his attention to Harry. "Yes?"

"Did the chair hurt you? You looked like you were going to rip it to shreds." Harry cocked an eyebrow.

Truthfully, Edward's mind stopped working after Harry mentioned his number one bachelor status. He didn't like the thought of other people wanting what was _his_. Er…what was his granted Fate doesn't fuck him over.

"Let's go," Edward said abruptly. "And you're riding in my car."

Harry blinked in surprise before shrugging his shoulders. "Race you there!"

Jasper smirked at Edward. "If you stare at his butt anymore, your brain is going to leak out of your ears."

Edward scowled at his empathic brother and took off after the star, embarrassed at having been caught. Lord help him if Harry wasn't meant to be his.

The drive to the shopping district was filled with animated talking. Harry had successfully pulled him into a conversation about his past, his beliefs on his vampirism, Harry's past, people they missed, and what they liked to do. It made the hour and a half long ride that much more bearable. Edward confided in Harry his fears that his mate would reject him, despite Harry's assurances the night previous. Harry confided in Edward his longing to go back to Britain, just to see how his family was holding up.

When they arrived at the shopping district, their conversation had taken a rather solemn turn. Harry explained more in-depth his role in the war and how he felt about it all. Edward was a little hurt when Harry told him about his past relationship with his best friend's younger sister, Ginny. He couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of relief when Harry told him how they'd broken it off because they were too much like siblings.

Edward admitted that he'd never been in a relationship since his liking boys wouldn't have been completely accepted when he was alive. Harry smiled gently at him and said, "That's nothing to be ashamed of. It's mostly accepted now and when you find your mate, he'll most definitely accept you."

"Thanks," Edward said, giving Harry a small smile as he turned off his car and stepped outside, leaning against it.

Harry hopped out of the car and bounced towards Edward, also leaning against the car. "You know, when I was alive I never really considered dating a man," he said thoughtfully. "Not that I'm not attracted to men, but it just never seemed like an option."

Edward's Hope-You're-My-Mate meter shot up like an explosive thermometer. "Oh?" He tried to pull off casual, but even he could tell he sounded constipated.

Harry laughed. "Yeah."

When the rest of the Cullens found parking and met up with them, Harry excitedly led the way to the Quivira Shopping District. He babbled about never being in another Wizarding shopping place other than Diagon Alley back in Britain. Having never been in a Wizarding shopping place at all, the Cullens watched in fascination as Harry placed his hand on the wall of an old, abandoned building and magic happened before their eyes.

The abandoned building seemed to disappear immediately and in its place stood a neighborhood. People flying on brooms wizzed past their heads, much to Alice and Emmett's delight. Rosalie looked interested in the Wizarding robes, commenting on the delicate-looking fabric. Jasper blinked in confused pleasure as he felt no thirst for the blood of the humans surrounding him. Carlisle and Esme pointed to a bookstore and smiled at each other, wanting to indulge in their inner bookworm.

Edward, however, immediately spotted a sign that read, _Vanora's Crystal Ball_. The picture of a crystal ball with an eye in the center caught his attention. "Would that be the place?"

Harry, who had been eyeing an apothecary, snapped his gaze in the direction of the small shop. "Indeed it is," he said cheerfully. "Come on, let's get going."

As they led the Cullens to the shop, something caught Harry's eye. He stopped and stared for a few minutes before walking towards it, oblivious to the Cullens' worried questions.

"Like them?"

Harry looked up and saw a seer smiling at him. He could tell the woman was a true seer by the birthmark peeking at him from just below the side of her ear on her neck. The seer had her brown hair pulled into a tight bun, reminding Harry of Professor McGonagall, and kind green eyes twinkling at him knowingly. If they'd been blue, Harry would've sworn Dumbledore had died and became a woman.

"Yes," he answered with a small smile. "What are they called?"

The seer picked up the delicate blue flower. It was small with five petals and a yellow center. "These are Forget-Me-Nots," she replied. "Here."

Harry took the offered flower without a second thought. "A Forget-Me-Not?"

"In Germany, the wearers of this flower would not be forgotten by their lover. Later on in history, this flower became a symbol to the victims in the Holocaust," the seer explained.

"They're very pretty," Harry complimented, twirling the flower in his hand.

"These flowers are also placed at gravesites so that the deceased will always remember those they left behind as they go off on their next adventure after life."

"That's…morbidly sweet."

The seer smiled. "Aurors also are particularly fond of giving these to their spouses. It is somewhat of a promise to return."

Harry stared at the flower again. It really was beautiful. "How much?"

The seer's smile widened. "You may take this flower for free, Mr. Potter. Rest assured, everything will work out in the end."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the mention of his last name and the Cullens stiffened. He hadn't quite been expecting that, though he couldn't really say he was surprised. "How did you…?"

"While the world mourned your death, the select few of us with gifts of true Divination and precognition celebrated your transformation." She smiled warmly at him. "As I said before, everything will work out in the end. Now, you must run along and see Vanora. She's been expecting you, and you'll be late if you don't leave now."

Harry nodded, somewhat stunned, and unconsciously gripped Edward's arm as they continued their course to fix Edward's Inner Eye. It was silent for a few moments before Emmett said, "Well, I'll say your disguise is terribly faulty. You'd make a horrible spy."

Harry chuckled, surprised at Emmett's words. "I wouldn't have been able to fool her. Besides, I'd rather she and this Vanora know who I am then the rest of the world."

"Why?" Rosalie asked. "She could expose you."

"She wouldn't," Alice piped up.

Rosalie turned to her sister and raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that? Your visions are subjective," she said cynically.

"Mine are, yes," Alice replied calmly, "but those that see the future clear as day and know what's going to happen without a doubt won't dare mess with it."

Harry smiled and nodded. He and the Cullens walked into the shop, closing the door behind them. It was empty, but homey looking with a large couch, a mini fridge, warm curtains, and the delicious scent of apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies wafting through the air.

"Ah, Harry Potter. Right on time," came a warm, somewhat husky voice.

Harry smiled somewhat hesitantly as Vanora came into view. "Nice to meet you Ms. Vanora," he said softly.

The female centaur returned the smile with a touch more mystery. Her eyes shifted towards Edward and she gave him a knowing wink. Edward's eyes widened slightly. "What brings you here, Edward Cullen?"

Edward swallowed somewhat thickly. "I…uh…I made a mistake."

"Do go on," Vanora said with a smile, gesturing for Edward to continue talking.

"I panicked," Edward blurted out. "And now because of that, there's something wrong with my Inner Eye and I need to find my mate. Is there _anything_ you can do to help me?"

Harry began to feel somewhat bad for leading Edward to believe that the problem was irreparable. Hearing the desperation in Edward's voice, Harry wanted nothing more than to cuddle him and tell him that everything would be alright and he'd get to see his mate really soon. He shook his head and blushed slightly. There would be _no_ cuddling involved.

Vanora chuckled lightly. "Of course it can be fixed," she said with a smile. "You'll need to drink some _Ostententia_. It will allow your Inner Eye to open fully and painlessly. Now sit still. I'll have to ask the rest of you to wait outside as this does get rather personal. Except for you, Harry Potter. Since you were the one to begin Edward Cullen's journey with the opening of his Inner Eye, I'll need you to stay."

"We'll just go look around at some of the shops," Alice suggested brightly, winking at Edward. "When you guys are ready, text me on my cell."

Edward watched as his family filtered out of the room. Vanora disappeared behind a curtain of beads, leaving him alone with Harry. He glanced at the star out of the corner of his eye. Topaz met emerald and a jolt of thunder went through them. Realizing they were staring at the other, each averted their gazes. Harry's face erupted into the cutest of blushes and his skin seemed to glow again. Edward grinned a little, happy to have that affect on Harry.

His grin disappeared when Vanora came back wielding a foul-smelling potion in her hand. He eyed it warily, struck with the reminder that Harry might not be his mate. He hesitated slightly and Vanora smiled.

"Take it, Edward Cullen," she coaxed softly. "I can promise you that everything will work out."

That was enough assurance for Edward and, with a final moment's hesitation, he grabbed the potion and downed it in one go. It tasted as foul as it smelt, and suddenly Edward wasn't in Vanora's shop anymore. He was transported back to the beach where he'd first seen his mate.

His skin glittered and sparkled in the hot sun. He glanced around at the humans in the water and laying in the sand. They soon began disappearing until only one person remained. His mate's face was still blurred, but was clearing up by the minute. Edward ran towards him, venom coursing through him as he hoped against hope that he saw Harry. His mate's skin glittered and sparkled as well, causing Edward's dead heart to plummet.

His mate really was a vampire. Harry wasn't a vampire.

Harry wasn't his mate.

Edward stopped running. He turned around and was about to flee as far away as he could when Vanora's words echoed in his head. _"…everything will work out."_

With a deep breath, Edward mustered up whatever courage he had left and faced his mate again. Emerald eyes shone happily at him and the famous lightning bolt scar peeked at him behind midnight black bangs. Musical laughter escaped full, pink lips—lips he dreamt about in the naughtiest as well as the most innocent of ways—and he stopped breathing for a second.

Staring at his mate's face, a smile began to bloom on his own. Laughter, slightly hysterical at first, escaped him and Edward felt his heart lighten. Carlisle had been right all along! The man he'd been lusting after, wanting, _craving_, was standing right before him; was his.

His Harry.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye he was back at Vanora's shop. The centaur was smiling devilishly, a satisfied gleam in her eye. Harry looked somewhat nervous.

"Did you see your mate?" the star asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did," Edward replied happily, staring at Harry dazedly.

"Well? Who is he?" Harry asked, chewing on his lower lip.

Edward smiled and stood up, sauntering across the short distance between him and Harry. He heard Harry's sharp intake of breath as his arms trapped the star against the wall, his lips brushing across the bare skin of Harry's neck. The vampire couldn't resist poking his tongue and swiping it across Harry's delicate neck, delighting in the breathily confused moan Harry let out.

"You," he whispered in Harry's ear. He used one of his hands to lightly grip Harry's chin and gently tilt his head so that they were looking each other in the eye. "You're my mate."

And then he softly pressed his own lips to Harry's.

Nothing had ever felt more right.

A/N: Awww, they've discovered they're mates. LOL. Reviews would be fantabulastical. (Say that five times fast; you'll get a virtual cookie.)


	12. Chapter 11 – A First Date

Chapter 11 – A First Date

"_I was outside last night looking at the stars. They reminded me of the people I love. There was one which shone the brightest…it was you."_

/Edward/\Harry\

As a star, Harry was quite familiar with cloud nine. He'd frequented it when the depression of not helping his family became too much. Cloud nine was everything Muggles imagined it and more. Blissful happiness overcame the occupants of cloud nine. Up there, he felt relaxed, happy, and free.

Still, the euphoria experienced on cloud nine was _nothing_ compared to the feeling of Edward's lips on his. Any protests he were going to make were instantly wiped from his mind when Edward's tongue, manipulative little thing it was, slipped into his open mouth. His brain went fuzzy and promptly fizzled, melted, and dripped out of his ears as he let out a soft moan, his arms immediately wrapping around his neck.

Edward pressed his body closer to Harry's, intoxicated by the taste of his mate. His tongue unavoidably met Harry's and then it was a fight for dominance. He couldn't think of anything else other than getting closer, addicted to the sensations that erupted within him. Harry then remembered that, although he wasn't human, he did in fact need to breathe and pulled away, panting heavily.

Edward admired his handiwork, staring at Harry's bruised and swollen lips, flushed face, dazed expression, and lust-filled eyes. Yeah, he was that good.

Harry met Edward's eyes and some of the fog that melted his brain dispersed. Confusion and worry seized him and he thrust his arms out, trying to put more space between him and the horny vampire.

"Wait," he gasped, eyes wide. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Claiming my mate," Edward replied with a smirk. "What did you think I was doing?"

He leaned in to kiss Harry's neck just above the pulse point, not tempted in the least to bite down onto it and drink the elixir of life.

Harry sighed softly, and his eyes closed of their own accord as he subconsciously arched his neck, giving Edward more access. He gasped and his eyes shot open. "No, wait! Wait, wait, wait!"

Edward stopped his ministrations and instead chose to just hold Harry close, almost nuzzling Harry's hair as he whispered in his ear, "Yes?"

Harry shivered and his legs shook slightly. "Um…" He blinked, forgetting what he was going to say. "Are…are you sure? About this entire mate situation? Because remember when I told you about my rebirth? I can feel it, you know. You see how pale I've gotten? I've barely been on Earth two weeks and I can already feel myself draining." Harry was babbling and he knew it.

Edward paused, frowning slightly. He thought about it before he eyed his cute little mate skeptically. "When I opened my Inner Eye, I saw you. I know you're definitely my mate. But," Edward continued before Harry could cut him off, "I saw you as a vampire." He eyed Harry hesitantly. "So this paling and you feeling yourself drain, are you sure you're not just…changing…being _reborn_ into a vampire?"

Harry blinked in shock. He hadn't thought about it like that. Could it be possible…? It would certainly explain the tugging he felt at his soul, the pull towards Edward. He bit his lower lip lightly, thinking it over.

"Stars cannot remain on Earth. That is the reason why they reside in the universe."

Harry squealed and Edward startled at Vanora's voice. She smirked at them, a tray of cookies in her hand. Harry paled before blushing furiously; had she been there the entire time? Her wink assured him that, indeed, she'd been there and she enjoyed the show.

"So I'm right?" Edward asked, staring at the floor in embarrassment. He'd lost control, not that he regretted it, and someone had witnessed his intimate pouncing on his mate. Never in all of his years as a vampire had he been so affected by someone to the point of forgetting his surroundings. He didn't completely mind it; it had allowed him to turn his mate into gelatin and comply with his oral explorations.

Crap, he was becoming aroused again.

"Sit," Vanora said, offering the tray of cookies to Harry who nervously took it and nibbled one. "Stars do not have the necessary internal systems to survive on Earth in much the same way other creatures do. However, as the two of you are mates and a match preordained by Merlin himself, you will, indeed, turn into a vampire."

Edward glanced nervously at Harry. He was extremely happy that the star was his mate, but would Harry like being turned into a vampire? Would Harry end up despising him? Would Harry want to stay a star and return to the sky? Would—

"You're thinking too much," Harry said softly, smiling hesitantly at Edward. Vanora chuckled lightly and left the room, taking the tray of cookies with her.

"Are you…" Edward swallowed, thinking of what he wanted to say. "Are you okay with this?"

Harry regarded him intently before tapping his mouth in a thinking position. "I never thought about being a vampire, but then again I never thought I'd become a star," he admitted, smiling wryly. "And I'm worried about rushing into things with you. During my time here on Earth, I really feel like I've gotten to know you, Edward, and I do like spending time with you. I'd like to spend more, especially since we're mates and will have to spend the rest of our lives together. Maybe we could even do something together…"

A slow smile spread across Edward's face. "Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Potter?" he teased lightly, staring at Harry's face.

Harry chuckled nervously, cheeks flushed as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Edward chuckled and stood up, pulling Harry up as well. He brought them closer and placed his hands on Harry's hips, leaning down to whisper in his ear, "I accept."

Harry shivered again and grinned devilishly. "Good. I would've kidnapped you if you said otherwise."

Edward laughed, but was caught off when Harry shyly initiated another kiss. It was gentler than their passionate one earlier, but contained no fewer amounts of care, warmth, and bliss. It remained chase, simple pressure applied to their lips that set off the fireworks inside of them.

They didn't know how long they stayed there, holding on to each other and moving their lips against the other's in soft, exploring motions. The kiss didn't last long enough, however, as the sound of someone clearing their throats broke them apart.

The rest of the Cullens shared satisfied smirks and remained silent. Harry and Edward looked embarrassed at getting caught again, and their embarrassment only furthered when Emmett, not one to remain quiet too long, opened his mouth with an exclamation of, "Finally! Now we can stop pretending that Edward doesn't get a boner whenever he stares at Harry's butt! Are you going to take care of all of this unresolved sexual tension and go do the nasty?"

Harry let out a strangled noise and looked at Edward incredulously with his eyebrow cocked. "Is that the real reason why you avoided me?"

Edward glared at Emmett before turning to Harry. "Let's talk in the car."

Harry bit his lip in an attempt to suppress an amused snort from escaping and nodded his head. Alice and Esme squealed happily, hugging him and babbling about celebrating to welcome him to the family. "We're, uh, going on a date tonight," he said quietly before the two women got carried away.

"Awwwww!" Alice hugged him again and kissed his cheek. "Rosalie and I will help you pick out your outfit. Edward won't be able to keep his hands off you!"

"Right, like he doesn't already," Emmett mumbled under his breath, causing Rosalie to wack him on the back of the head lightly.

"Edward just found his mate; stop teasing them!" she whispered in his ear.

Emmett pouted. "They may have just discovered that they're mates, but Edward over here has been sexually attracted to the little star here fo—"

"We're leaving," Edward interrupted loudly, giving Emmett his worst death glare. Without another word, he grabbed Harry by his hand and quickly led him out of Vanora's shop. There was a sort of awkward silence that surrounded them as they made their way to the car and began to drive back to the Cullens' home.

"So…" Harry started slowly, an embarrassed grin spreading across his face. "You like my butt?"

Edward choked on his venom. "Where are we going tonight?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Harry laughed. "Well, the usual dates of dinner and a movie are out since you don't eat human food," he contemplated. "But it _is_ the summer." His eyes widened slightly and he snapped his fingers. "Does your cell phone have internet access?"

Edward glanced at him warily. "Yes, why?"

"Give it here," Harry said, holding his hand out expectantly. "I'm going to google something."

"You could just ask me," Edward pointed out.

"Nope," Harry replied, popping the 'p'. "It's going to be our first date and I don't want you to know where we're going."

Edward shifted his eyes to Harry before staring back at the road, embarrassed. "It's in the back pocket to my jeans."

Harry flushed lightly. "I don't suppose you'll pull over and get it for me?"

Edward snickered. "You always get this embarrassed?" he teased lightly. He enjoyed seeing the flush that seemed to blossom across Harry's face; it made the star glow beautifully and Edward became mesmerized by it. It probably wasn't such a good idea to get distracted while he was driving, though. Not for the other humans on the road, at least.

Harry narrowed his eyes, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. Honestly, because of his rather poor upbringing he never really fancied any sort of attention. With everyone staring rather shamelessly at him during his Hogwarts days, he usually had a slight blush of mortification adorning his face. He thought he'd grown out of it after he turned sixteen, but Edward had an effect on him that nobody else did. Not even Ginny, and he had seen her for about a year.

Thinking back on his failed relationship with the red-haired witch, Harry realized that he was never meant to be with her. It explained why it had felt more than a little awkward to be with her in the romantic sense. Sure, he considered her as a good friend or maybe even a sister that he had to look out for. Still, when he called it off with her, there'd been something else in the back of his mind that told him being with Ginny just wasn't right.

Maybe he was supposed to die. Maybe his death was the only way he could meet Edward, the vampire that just so happened to be his mate. Despite the short time he'd known Edward Cullen, the magnetic tug towards him had grown stronger and stronger. He found himself wanting to get to know every little thing about Edward and he enjoyed exchanging bits of information about his past life with him.

When he was alive, he would've been more than a little upset at losing yet another choice to make. It was so strange that he accepted being Edward's mate instead of ranting and raving like he would've done back home in Britain. Having taken the time to find out little tidbits about Edward and also having matured before and after his death, Harry was more accepting of things beyond his control.

Besides, what was really so horrible at discovering that the man he'd secretly been having a connection with was to be his for forever?

His thoughts shifted over towards Vanora's earlier statement. He really didn't mind becoming a vampire too much. It wasn't exactly in his life plan, but there wasn't really anything he could do. Becoming a vampire really was better than his previous idea of rebirth. That would've been bad…and messy.

Mischievously, Harry snaked his arm towards Edward to rest on the vampire's hip.

Edward's eyes bulged. "What are you doing?" His grip on the steering wheel tightened ever-so-slightly as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Getting your cell phone," Harry whispered, inwardly cheering at having such an…_uplifting_…affect on his mate.

Edward focused on the road, trying to ignore the tickling sensation of Harry's fingers making their way to his right butt pocket. He stopped at the red light and lifted his hips, bringing his hand behind him to fish his phone out. "Here," he said. "You're distracting me and we'll get into an accident."

Harry blinked innocently and took the offered phone with a grin. The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence. Edward tried to keep his mind off of the icy hot sensations Harry's fingers had left in their wake. Harry, on the other hand, was completely immersed in Edward's cell phone, a large smile appearing on his face as he found what he was obviously looking for.

They arrived back at the Cullens' place uneventfully and Harry was immediately taken by Rosalie and Alice, who had mysteriously arrived there first and were waiting rather impatiently. Edward changed quickly and listened carefully for Harry to tell them his plans for their date, but frowned when he heard pen scratching paper instead.

Carlisle clapped him on the back and Esme hugged him tightly, both congratulating him on finally finding his mate. When Emmett commented on Edward's sexual awareness because of the little star, the two began wrestling. Jasper soon joined, complaining that Edward's suddenly awoken libido caused him and Alice to go at it for hours. Not even supernatural strength could stop them from getting sore.

A loud cough stopped them from continuing their wrestling. Edward glanced up the stairs and his eyes widened slightly. Harry was wearing a pair of dark shorts that came down to his knees, showing Edward the star's slightly muscled calves. He also wore a short-sleeved, button-up green shirt that showcased his eyes, the defined biceps on his arms, and the creamy expanse of Harry's chest the first three undone buttons allowed Edward to view. It suited Harry; mostly lean with enough muscle to show that he was athletic. Edward absent-mindedly pictured Harry shirtless and working out, sweat trickling down his body. His thoughts then switched to Harry working out in a very different way that would be more pleasurable to both of them.

"Damn it, Edward!" Jasper explained uncharacteristically, standing up abruptly and sprinting up the stairs. He grabbed Alice and threw her over his shoulder, sprinting to their bedroom with Alice laughing the entire way.

Harry cocked an eyebrow before he shook his head. "Ready to go?"

Edward nodded his head. "Yeah, let's go."

They both ignored Emmett cheerfully telling them to practice safe sex and left the house. Edward still wasn't told where they were going, but Harry read off directions to him. The closer they reached their destination, the more Edward could smell salt water and hear crashing waves. He smiled slightly. The first time he saw Harry as his mate was when he'd opened his Inner Eye and ended up on a beach; it was only fitting that their first date was also on a beach.

"Happy?" Harry asked nervously, nibbling on his lower lip. "I thought since it's summer and all, coming to a beach would be the perfect thing to do."

"Yeah, I am," Edward said, smiling at his mate softly. "Let's go."

Harry nodded his head, relieved that he'd chosen the right place. Edward parked the car and they walked down to the beach together, the vampire's hand gently brushing against the star's. Flushing slightly, Harry grabbed Edward's hand and held it as they walked along the beach. They talked about everything, from the war in Britain to Edward's rebellion after he first turned.

Harry had never felt so naked and exposed before. He spilled everything about his past and felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted. Talking about his mistreatment at the Dursleys' home was more therapeutic than he'd expected it to be. Edward hugged him after hearing about the cupboard under the stairs, inwardly snarling at the pathetic humans that had dared to lock up and neglect a creature as wonderful as Harry.

Harry sighed softly, hugging him back and smiling happily. After everything he'd gone through and everything he ever had to suffer, being in Edward's arms more than made up for it. If this was Fate's way of trying to apologize to him, then the apology was most definitely accepted.

"I really like you, Harry," Edward murmured into his hair. "And I'm really glad you're my mate."

Harry smiled gently. "I never thought of being with a man, but I'm sure you swayed me to the dark side," he teased, grinning when Edward chuckled. "And if we really are going to be together for eternity, I'm also glad you're the one I get to spend several lifetimes with."

Edward glanced away, embarrassed, and smiled again. All of those decades of loneliness were well worth it; waiting for Harry was well worth it.

Overcome with a giddy emotion he'd never before been able to experience, Edward leaned down and pressed his lips to Harry's in a burning kiss. He was thoroughly enjoying it before the tingles up and down his spine magically turned to sand. He opened his eyes wide and pulled away, shocked.

Harry laughed at his expression and threw more sand at him before running away towards the water, his laughter louder and more infectious when Edward easily caught up and tackled him into the ocean. His face was flushed with pleasure as the occasional snort escaped him. He shivered slightly when the cold waves surrounded his body. Edward noticed and switched positions, allowing Harry to straddle him. Harry chuckled and leaning down, pressing a small kiss against the side of Edward's mouth.

"I haven't had this much fun in a long time," Edward confessed, not minding the waves lightly hitting them.

"I'm not sure if I've ever been _this_ happy," Harry admitted. "But I'm glad I am. Now, hush. I want a proper snog."

They stayed laying in the sand until the sun rose, exchanging gentle kisses, exploring touches, and whispering sweet nothings.

A/N: Well, this is officially the never-ending chapter. It would not cooperate and cut off for me, like, a thousand words ago. Hope you liked the sweet ending. Please enjoy it and review. Feedback feeds the muse, and you want her full on comments instead of Pixie Stix, trust me.


	13. Chapter 12 – A Rebirth

Chapter 12 – A Rebirth

"_Your heart is like a star—everlasting until someone puts it out."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Harry glanced at his reflection with a frown. He was getting paler and paler as the days passed, and he expected it since Vanora had explained that he was going to turn into a vampire. However, something in the pit of his stomach told him that something else was happening to him. His frown deepened and he stared hard at the mirror. What if he didn't turn into a vampire? What if—?

"Harry, are you alright?" Esme asked through the door, worry seeping into her voice.

Harry blinked, startled out of his thoughts. "Fine," he called. "Slightly nervous."

Esme let out a musical laugh. "There's nothing to be nervous about. Hurry before Edward and Carlisle get back."

Harry allowed a smile to dance across his face. When he found out Edward's birthday was on the twentieth of June, he made sure to plan a party. Carlisle brought Edward to the hospital so he wouldn't be able to overhear any plans that were made. Picking out a gift for Edward had been more than difficult. Despite them exchanging information and getting to know each other, he still hadn't known what to get his vampire mate. Nervous, he asked the other Cullens what they thought Edward would like best, only to get mocking comments from Emmett, smirks from Jasper and Rosalie, and knowing grins from the rest of them. "Edward will love what you get him," Alice had promised.

When Harry asked her to tell him what he picked for Edward, Alice just smiled and shrugged her shoulders before dancing away. He didn't know if the present he got for his mate was the one Alice saw, but he hoped Edward would like it all the same.

Harry turned on the tap and cupped the water with his hands. Before he could splash the water on his face, a sharp pain in his stomach had him gasping. He doubled over, gritting his teeth and drawing in ragged breaths. It lasted a minute before leaving as quickly as it had come. Harry coughed, weakly groaning and rubbing his stomach.

Someone started pounding on the door again. "Harry, please open the door," Esme pleaded.

Harry's brow furrowed in confusion before he remembered her vampiric hearing. He took in a deep breath before standing and opening the door. Esme immediately rushed in, the rest of the Cullen clan bar Edward and Carlisle behind her. She started checking him over, confused when she could find nothing physically wrong with him.

"I'm fine," he told her gently, running his hands through his hair.

"You were in pain," Jasper said quietly. "A lot of it."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know what it was, but it's gone now."

Esme frowned. "Maybe we should have Carlisle look at it."

"What if it's part of him becoming one of us?" Emmett suggested smartly.

Harry regarded him in surprise. "That actually sounded smart coming from you," he teased with a grin.

Emmett pouted. "I can be smart."

"I know you can, baby," Rosalie cooed, rubbing Emmett's arm soothingly. He gave her a heated look.

"Carlisle should still look at it," Esme repeated, drawing attention away from Emmett wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"It's fine," Harry said firmly. "I don't want to ruin Edward's birthday. If I still have a problem, Carlisle can check me into the hospital himself."

Esme worried her lip slightly before nodding her head, agreeing. "Alright," she consented. "But I'm letting him know as soon as he and Edward get here."

"Deal," Harry agreed. He glanced at the clock. "He'll be here soon. Let's finish quickly."

Together, Harry and the Cullens finished decorating the house with streamers and balloons. Harry bit his lip. He wasn't sure if Edward would like it or not. Granted, it seemed a bit childish to go all out and decorate the way he had, but Edward was turning a hundred and four and Harry wanted to do something nice. He already had the night planned.

"They're here," Emmett said eerily, smirking when Harry let out a startled squeak.

Harry frowned at him, too aware of how nervous he was. It really wasn't that big of a deal to plan something special for his significant other. That thought brought a smile to Harry's lips. Strangely, he really liked thinking of Edward in the romantic sense. It meant he wasn't alone anymore. He had someone to love for all eternity, and that special someone made his stomach twist in ways he hadn't experienced before. And, there was no denying it, Edward was very pleasing to Harry's eye and internal pervert.

The front door opened.

"Surprise!" Harry and the Cullens shouted.

Edward's eyes widened and he blinked several times before grinning. "Wow. I was wondering why Alice was doing Algebra in her head."

Harry smiled anxiously. "You like it?"

Edward returned the smile happily, surveying his house. The streamers were a beautiful green color and 'Happy Birthday!' balloons filled the ceiling. Confetti lay on the floor and there was a small cake with number candles on it. "I love it," he said softly. "Though you could've not mentioned my age."

Harry grinned devilishly, relieved. "No way! It's not every day you turn a hundred and four. I did get a weird look from the clerk, though."

Edward chuckled and closed the space between him and his mate, leaning down to give him a soft kiss. "I really do love it. It's too bad we can't have the cake."

"That's for me," Harry supplied happily. "It was chocolate; I couldn't resist."

Emmett let out a booming laugh. "He drooled over it in the store. Based on his reaction, you're definitely going to like my present."

Edward regarded him with open suspicious. "I'm sure," he said sarcastically.

"Present time!" Harry exclaimed, grabbing Edward's arm and dragging him toward the couch. "Come on, we have a busy night ahead of us!"

Edward smiled at Harry's enthusiasm before sitting down and accepting the handed package. He ripped open the paper and smiled appreciatively at Alice for the new record player. His was barely working and he'd been meaning to get one.

"I knew you'd like it," Alice gloated happily.

"You know everything," Emmett pointed out. "That's what happens when you can see the future."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Let Edward open his presents in peace," Esme chided gently.

Edward grinned as he opened the next present. His grin immediately fell and he looked at Harry dryly, shaking his head in amusement. Harry couldn't take it anymore; he laughed loudly. The rest of the family looked somewhat confused before Edward pulled out his shiny, engraved cane. The Cullens eventually dissolved in laughter, Emmett being the loudest and Esme the quietest in an attempt to not be rude.

He opened Emmett's present next and quickly slammed the box shut, glaring at Emmett as the loud vampire immediately started laughing again. Alice bit her lip, trying to reign in her giggles.

"What'd he get you?" Jasper asked curiously.

"Nothing," Edward replied quickly. He was never more grateful of his ability to read minds then he was at that current moment. Jasper jumped for the box, but Edward could already hear his plan of attack and leapt out of the way.

"If it's nothing, then why are you going through such great lengths to hide it?" Jasper inquired.

"I just don't want you to know," Edward shot back, dodging Jasper's moves.

"Is it something bad?" Harry asked.

Momentarily distracted, Edward didn't notice Jasper trying to swipe the box out of his hands until it was too late. The contents of the box flew out and landed on Harry's feet. Harry picked them up and immediately blushed in mortification. Jasper ran and snatched the tube and book quickly, his lips quirking as he read.

"Chocolate lube and The Beginner's Guide to Great Gay Sex: How to Make Your Partner Scream For More," Jasper announced, laughing.

Esme gasped, scandalized. "Emmett!"

Edward quickly snatched the gifts and ran them to his room, running back before Harry could even blink. "Moving on."

"I actually have something else planned, Edward. We should go," Harry said, not looking his mate in the eye and blushing furiously.

Edward couldn't agree more and the two were out the door in no time.

"Emmett, that was a rude gift!" Esme chastised, shaking her head.

Emmett laughed louder. "If he doesn't know what to do, he could hurt Harry. I was only helping him out," he defended, snickering all the while.

The front door opened once more and the Cullens watched as Harry ran inside, cut himself a piece of the chocolate cake, and ran back outside.

"Why do I have a feeling they'll be using your gift?" Rosalie murmured, torn between amusement and disgust.

"It's unclear," Alice said, laughing.

Harry ate the piece of cake quickly as he and Edward walked through the forest. Edward watched him in amusement. "So, what are we doing?" the vampire asked, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had befallen them since the revealing of Emmett's lewd gifts.

"You'll see when we get there," Harry said firmly with a grin.

Edward smiled at Harry. "Thank you for planning all of this. It means a lot," he said softly.

Harry blushed again, shrugging his shoulders. "I wanted to do something special for you," he said lamely. "Here we are!"

Edward glanced and saw a blanket spread out on the forest floor as well as a basket. "More cake for you in there?" he asked as he smelt chocolate, chuckling slightly.

Harry nodded sheepishly. "I love chocolate," he stated.

"I can tell." Edward noticed that Harry looked more nervous than usual. "Are you okay?"

Harry glanced at the vampire out of the corner of his eye. "Were you really angry about me getting you the cane?"

Edward blinked before laughing. "No, that was pretty funny," he admitted.

Harry smiled. "Good, 'cuz that wasn't your real present."

"Oh? Then what did you get me?" Edward cocked an eyebrow.

Harry bit his lip nervously before reaching into the basket and pulling out a satin box. Edward regarded it curiously. "I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I wanted to give you something to show you how happy I am with being your mate," he said embarrassedly.

Edward accepted the box and opened it slowly. His eyes widened at the ring inside. It was a simple band with a Celtic knot design. Awed, he took it out of the box and noted the inside of the band had an inscription. _Always yours, Harry_.

"Wow," he whispered, slipping the ring on his finger.

"They're traditional bonding rings. In the Wizarding world, we have these rings to symbolize our relationship. It's almost like a marriage, really, which is what being mates is basically," Harry babbled. "I have mine, too. I just wasn't sure if you'd want to do it or not. It's totally okay if you'd rather not; I'll completely understand."

Edward found Harry's babbling cute and leaned in to kiss him. Harry immediately kissed him back, wrapping his arms around Edward's neck. The kiss ended too soon for both of them, but despite something inside of them telling them to finalize their bond, they pulled away. "Thank you," Edward whispered. "Can I see yours?"

Harry flushed and dug the ring out of his pocket. Edward read the inscription, _Forever mine, Edward_, with a smile. "You really don't mind?" he asked anxiously.

"I'd be honored to wear this ring," Edward told him honestly. "It comes from your culture; it's a part of who you are. I'd love nothing more than to accept it."

Harry beamed happily. Suddenly his stomach twisted sharply again, and he cried out in pain. He tried to suck in deep breaths, but the pain only continued to grow. Vaguely, Harry could hear Edward's worried questions, but he couldn't answer them. "Hurts," he whimpered, clutching his stomach.

Panicking, Edward quickly scooped Harry up in his arms and ran back to the house. "Carlisle!" he called as he ran up the steps.

Carlisle quickly opened the door in time for Edward to rush through it. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Edward said helplessly. "Everything was fine until he started having severe stomach pains."

"Could it be something from the cake?" Carlisle wondered aloud, glancing at the confection Harry had insisted on buying.

"No, he's had this pain before," Esme said quickly, filling them in on what had happened when they were gone. "He was going to ask you to check him when you got back."

"Why didn't he say anything sooner?" Edward demanded, upset.

"Edward, he wanted your birthday to be special," Esme tried to explain.

Harry groaned in pain. "It hurts," he moaned.

"What hurts?" Carlisle asked quickly.

"'S like fire…all over…" Harry gasped, shaking. And then, abruptly, it stopped. He sagged in relief, happy that the pain was over.

"Could that be his body turning into a vampire like Vanora had said?" Esme asked. "The transformation is normally painful."

Carlisle sighed as he checked Harry over. "I couldn't say. I haven't any experience with stars."

Edward held Harry's hand, worry shining in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Harry panted and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine now," he replied breathlessly. "That was really weird, though."

"Are you sure?" Edward stressed.

"Edward, relax," Harry soothed, letting go of Edward's hand to caress his face. "It's probably like Esme said. I'm more-than-likely slowly turning into a vampire." There was an overwhelming amount of doubt in his heart, but he made sure to not show it.

"What if it isn't?"

"What else could it be?" Harry countered.

Edward sighed. "Alright," he conceded, "but if you start hurting again, you'll let me know, right?"

Harry nodded with a small smile. "Can I have some more cake?" he asked cheekily.

The vampires laughed, taking that as a sign that Harry was, indeed, feeling a lot better. Things were still tense for a bit, but eventually everyone was joking again as if nothing had happened. Hours passed with them playing silly games for Edward's birthday until Harry was yawning and eventually nodding off.

Edward noticed and immediately placed his mate in his arms, quietly letting his family know that he was going to put Harry in his—no, _their_—room. He put Harry to lay down on the couch (and goofily thought about getting a bed instead) and gently brushed his hair. Edward watched Harry sleeping for a few moments before he was content that Harry was completely alright.

An uneasy feeling settled in his gut; he didn't like Harry being in pain, and he felt so helpless since none of them knew what caused it or how to fix it. With a sigh, he reluctantly got up and left the room.

"I'm worried about Harry," he said softly.

Carlisle gazed at him sadly. "I'm sorry I cannot help."

Edward shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. There isn't exactly a manual on the ailment's of stars and how to treat them."

Esme immediately stood and wrapped her arms around Edward. "I'm sure everything will work out the way it was meant to," she soothed. She glanced into his dark, almost black eyes. "You need to go feed."

Edward sighed. "I don't want to leave him," he protested.

"I'll stay here while you go," Alice piped up, smiling. "I'll watch him."

"Me too," Emmett said loudly. "I already fed, and I want to finish this game."

Edward still seemed reluctant to go. "I don't know…"

Rosalie stood. "I'll go feed with you."

Edward glanced up the stairs one more time before he nodded. "Might as well go before he wakes up," he murmured.

Seconds later, Alice and Emmett were the only vampires left in the house. They kept their ears open, waiting for Harry to make any sound of discomfort. Alice wasn't too worried, though. If anything happened, she'd know about it beforehand.

Harry slowly blinked awake, glancing lazily at the room. His stomach was starting to burn again, and he tried to keep his mind off it. He didn't want to worry Edward. The burning began to spread, feeling like liquid magma inside his veins. Harry began to shake as he clenched the sheets tightly and tried with all of his might to hold in his sounds of pain. He arched his back off the couch, writhing and twitching. It was almost like the Cruciatus curse, only worse—much worse.

Standing up, Harry barely managed to shuffle over to Edward's desk. He sank down in the chair, a small sob escaping his lips. He could hear footsteps zooming up the stairs, but paid no mind to them. Grabbing a pen, he quickly wrote a note. His eyes watered and a tear dripped onto the paper, smudging some of the ink. Everything hurt so badly.

Sniffling, he reached into the desk drawer and pulled out the small blue and yellow flowers he'd gotten the same day Edward discovered he was his mate. He sniffled again, and another sob escaped him.

"Harry, are you okay?"

He ignored Alice's knocking and sluggishly made his way to the couch again, collapsing. This time he couldn't prevent screaming in pain.

"Harry, I'm going to break down the door."

"No!" Harry cried, clutching the flowers desperately. "Go away!"

"Harry, Emmett's left to get Edward. I'm breaking down the door," Alice repeated.

"Don't!"

It was too late. The door easily fell off its hinges and Alice made her way towards Harry. "Edward and Carlisle will be here soon," she said, her eyes wide with worry.

Harry bit his lip and cried. "Please tell Edward to…stay away," he panted, tears streaming down the side of his face. "Please…don't let him…see…"

Alice's lower lip quivered. "You're going to be okay," she said weakly.

Harry tried to smile at her, he really did. "I'm so sorry," he whispered weakly. The fire inside spread to his heart. He was having a hard time breathing. "I love Edward…really, I do…I wish I could tell him…in person…" Black was swarming his vision.

"You can," Alice insisted, holding his hand. "You will!"

"I'm sorry," he repeated softly. He could hear the front door breaking open and he drew in one last shuddering breath. His grip on the Forget-Me-Nots loosened and his eyes drooped closed.

Alice stared in disbelief.

An emerald green light consumed Harry's body before he erupted into star dust.

A/N: I'd like to apologize for the long wait and remind everyone that if you kill me, the story will never get finished. That being said, please review. ^^;

((Oh, and FF dot Net will not let me upload or post anything. It was a miracle I got this to update. Has this happened to anyone? I've e-mailed them, but who knows when it'll get fixed. Oh, and I can't add any new stories, which sucks. Go to AFF, TSS, HP Fandom, or Forever Fandom to see my latest story: _Silent Love_. It's a total AU that takes place in 1918 in Chicago. Here's the summary: "Edward Masen thought his life was over when the Spanish Influenza Epidemic took the lives of his parents and left him Deaf. Then he met his ASL teacher's mute son, Harry Potter." So, check them out and let me know what you think!))


	14. Chapter 13 – A Broken Heart

Chapter 13 – A Broken Heart

"_Wanting to be with you is like trying to touch a star. You know you'll never accomplish it, but you just keep on trying…"_

/Edward/\Harry\

Agony.

That was the only word that came semi-close to describing what Edward was feeling. Despite his hesitance, he had left with his family to feed. He had tried to ignore the foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach and hunted quickly so he could return to Harry's side, where he belonged. Rosalie had managed to make him smile a little just as Emmett came rushing towards them, a serious expression on his usually cheerful face. Edward had froze before he started firing questions.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he had demanded worriedly, tiny threads of despair weaving into his heart.

"It's Harry," Emmett had said. "He just started crying—"

Edward had immediately took off running towards the house, hoping beyond hope that Harry was okay. When he had reached the edge of the house, he could hear Alice and Harry speaking.

"I'm sorry," Harry had said.

Without a second thought, Edward had kicked down the door and rushed up the stairs.

And now…now he was staring at the star dust on his couch in shock. His family came up behind them and he heard the horrified gasps. Edward continued to stare at the dust, feeling unbelievable anguish. Jasper stumbled backward at the amount of emotions pouring from not just Edward, but everyone.

Edward snapped his head towards Alice and he grabbed her around her shoulders, shaking her a little. "What happened?" he cried, staring into her wide eyes.

Her lower lip quivered and she shook her head. "I promised," she tried to say, but she let out a dry sob. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

He shook her again. "What happened?" he repeated almost angrily, trying to tear past the song she was singing in her head. "Please, Alice, I need to know!"

"Edward, stop!" Rosalie protested. "Stop shaking her!"

Emmett came up behind Edward and enveloped him in a bear hug, holding tightly as Edward kicked and tried to break free.

"Please, Alice, tell me!" Edward pleaded, begging with his eyes for Alice to understand. His heart clenched painfully and he sobbed dryly. "Please, Alice…"

Alice cried into Rosalie's shoulder, shaking her head. "I'm sorry," she repeated. "I didn't see this happen, Edward! I didn't know until it was too late, you have to believe me! I swear I didn't know!"

"Tell me what happened," Edward insisted.

"I can't," Alice hesitated, shaking her head. She remembered the pleading in Harry's eyes, remembered him asking for her to not let Edward see before he exploded into dust.

"Just tell me what happened!" Edward yelled desperately.

"HE ASKED ME NOT TO!" Alice screamed, glaring sadly at her brother. "He didn't want you to _see_, Edward!"

Edward looked taken aback before his expression hardened and he threw himself into her mind. She gasped and clutched her head, shutting her eyes tightly. Jasper collapsed to his knees, curling in on himself as the emotional pain and desperation rained down on him like physical blows. Edward searched through Alice's memories, but she kept hiding the one he wanted behind other mundane thoughts.

"What if it were Jasper?" Edward demanded angrily. "What if something happened to _your_ mate?"

Alice's mouth hung open in shock and her eyes widened. She looked at her mate, crumpled on the floor and suffering from an emotional overload. Without hesitation, she crawled over to him and held his head in her lap, rocking him back and forth. She looked at Edward briefly before gazing at the star dust on the couch, her eyes shining apologetically.

Edward watched, horrified, as Alice's memory played in his head. He went completely still, and he could feel Emmett hesitantly let him go. Edward's face caved in anguish and he let out another dry sob as he went to the couch and cupped the dust in his hands. It slipped past his fingers. "No," he moaned lowly, staring at the dust with longing and hurt. "No, not my Harry…"

Esme sniffled and took a step forward, only to stop. She wanted to wrap Edward in her arms and take the pain away, but she couldn't. Her son had just lost his mate, and nothing would make him feel better.

Edward turned his head towards Carlisle. "How could this have happened?" he whispered painfully, staring at his father with wide eyes begging for an explanation. "Everything was fine…everything had been just fine…"

Carlisle hesitated. "I don't know," he said softly, "and I am so sorry, Edward."

Edward gazed back at the dust in his hands. His shoulders began to shake as he cried, his heart filled with remorse, sorrow, and guilt. He should never have left his mate; he should've been the one to hold his hand and comfort him. Edward cried hard, but it didn't matter. No amount of tearless crying would bring Harry back. His Harry. He sucked in deep unneeded breaths and whispered, "Can someone get me a vase?"

Rosalie was gone and back before he blinked.

Edward took the vase and cried as he scooped up the dust. It glittered as it dropped into the vase. _Harry used to glitter when he was excited or happy_. Edward whined a little when he saw the bonding ring on the couch next to a bunch of Forget-Me-Nots. He held the ring in his hands and fingered it gently, staring at the inscription. Glancing at the Forget-Me-Nots, Edward's eyes widened.

"Vanora!" he growled. "I'm going to go see Vanora."

He stood up before anyone could protest and ran to his car. He hopped in and started it before the front and rear passenger doors opened and Emmett slid inside.

"I'm coming with you," Rosalie said, "but I'm driving. Move it."

Edward blinked in surprise before he nodded his head and switched sides. "Why are you coming?" he croaked.

Rosalie didn't answer for a while, opting instead to pull out of the driveway at record-breaking speed. "I love our family," she announced suddenly. "And because of this, I hate outsiders. Outsiders mess everything up. They're infatuated by our physical beauty, attracted to us because of our unnatural vampirism." Her voice took on a rougher tone and Edward was shocked to realize that if Rosalie were human, she'd be holding back tears. "But Harry made you happy, Edward. He promised to help you find your mate, and when he turned out to be your mate, you were ecstatic. Your face lit up every time you saw him—everyone could tell how happier you were. Harry was happier, too, and if his story was anything to go by, it's the first time he's been happy in a while. You both were made for each other, and I'll do everything I can to help you find out what the hell just happened."

"Rose…" Edward started.

Rosalie stopped at the red light and turned to look at Edward, pain written clear as day on her face. "I can't imagine what you're going through. If it were Emmett, I don't know what I'd do," Rosalie admitted, her face scrunched up. "You are my _brother_, and I'll make sure you get the answers you're looking for."

Edward sniffled, staring out the window at the night—almost morning—sky. Stars twinkled merrily at him, but he didn't care. He didn't want to see those stars; there was only one that had captured his heart. Harry was everything he ever wanted and more. Harry was his.

"Thanks, Rose," he whispered, still staring at the dark sky.

Silence reigned in the car.

'_She isn't heartless,'_ Emmett thought at Edward. _'She loves you, and Harry was starting to grow on her. We'll solve this mess, Edward. We'll help you.'_

Unless they could make Harry appear from the star dust, nothing would help him—but he appreciated the thought.

When they arrived at the Quivira Shopping District, Edward sped towards Vanora's shop with Emmett and Rosalie behind him. Desperation, hope, and anger filled him as he pushed himself to run faster than he'd ever run in his life. Vanora had told him, _"I can promise you that everything will work out."_

But everything wasn't working out. Harry was gone and the hole in his heart he thought had healed returned with a vengeance. His mate spent his last few moments crying in pain, asking his sister to not let him see. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Edward clenched his fists, guilt consuming him. He should've bitten Harry and changed him like that.

When they reached the area of Vanora's shop, numbness consumed him.

"Where is it?" Edward asked in shock. _Vanora's Crystal Ball_ was gone. It was as if it vanished without a trace. Edward turned towards Rosalie and Emmett, who were equally shocked. "What am I going to do?" he whispered brokenly. "I…I need him, Rose. And something's happened to it and the only person who could've explained it to me is gone!"

Rosalie enveloped him in a hug, apologizing to him as she tried her best to sooth him. Emmett stared solemnly at the scene before glancing back at where the shop should be. He didn't know anything about the magical world, but they shouldn't have been able to do that. Buildings didn't just disappear…did they? Glancing back at his brother breaking down, Emmett couldn't stop the anger from building in his chest. Why Edward?

Something flashed in the corner of his eye and he turned around, recognizing the lady that had given Harry the Forget-Me-Nots. His eyesight allowed him to pick up on the birthmark on her neck, remembering Harry stating firmly that she was trustworthy.

He was walking towards her before he even realized what he was doing.

"Hey!" he called, catching Rosalie and Edward's attention.

The seer smiled at him. "Fancy seeing you again," she said almost innocently. "What can I do for you?"

"You!" Edward gasped, also recognizing the woman. "You gave Harry the flowers…"

The seer nodded. "Indeed, I did. Harry Potter has always been a rather special young man," she murmured dazedly.

"You said everything would be alright," Edward choked out. "How is him exploding into dust going to work out?"

"Even alive, he always seemed to stand out from the crowd. I suspect the nasty Boy Who Lived and Savior business aided his somewhat stellar personality. I can't say I'm surprised that he became a star after he passed," the seer continued as if Edward hadn't spoken , picking up a Forget-Me-Not from her cart and bringing it to her nose.

"Didn't you hear my brother?" Rosalie snarled angrily. "Harry's gone! He _exploded_!"

"When he died, us privy to Divination knew of his transformation." The seer smiled before she looked Edward in the eye. "Vanora didn't lie when she said he would be reborn into a vampire."

"That's not how people are turned into vampires!" Emmett protested. "They don't explode into dust!"

"Not _humans_, no," the seer agreed. "But you forget that Harry Potter was a star."

Edward froze. "So…he's turning into a vampire?" he asked hesitantly, too scared to hope that the trauma he suffered was all a joke; a sort of 'Gotcha!' moment from fate.

The seer grabbed his face and pulled him towards her with a surprising amount of speed and strength. Edward froze, staring into her hypnotic green eyes. They weren't as bright as Harry's; not as _special_ as his Harry's. "Losing one's mate can cause unbearable anguish," the seer said softly, her own voice tinged with sadness. "You loved him."

"Yes," Edward whispered, his eyes widening further. "Yes, I do. He was born for me, and I was made for him."

The seer smiled, closing her eyes. "Harry Potter is being reborn," she told him quietly. "There were two possible ways this could have happened. Due to certain circumstances, he needed to be reborn the more…explosive way."

Edward bit his lower lip. "He was in so much pain," he whimpered lowly. "He was in pain and I couldn't do anything to help him."

"It was necessary," the seer assured him. "Were you not in pain when you were turned into a vampire?"

"Harry's already been through enough! He shouldn't have had to experience any pain!" Edward burst out, glaring at the seer and pulling his face out of her hands.

The seer laughed softly. "Nothing comes free in this world," she chided gently.

"So…Harry's turning into one of us?" Emmett asked hopefully.

The seer nodded her head. "He is becoming a vampire as we speak. It will take some time for the process to be complete, though," she warned.

Edward nodded, his expression still one of devastation. "How long?" he asked quietly.

The seer shrugged her shoulders. "You've already worn out your stay," she reminded them. "The Muggles are starting to get suspicious. It's best you continue with your lives."

"What do you mean by that?" Rosalie asked through narrowed eyes.

"Leave," the seer said bluntly. She held up her hand to stop protests. "Leave, and trust Harry Potter will find his way to you. Vanora and myself were not lying when we said everything would work out. Leave, Cullen Coven."

"I can't," Edward cried, his eyes wide with panic. "What if Harry—"

"I have already Seen what happens. If you do not leave now, Harry Potter will become a vampire only to be persecuted should your kind be discovered. The Wizarding world can be very efficient at keeping magic a secret and will make the Volturi look like a schoolyard bully," the seer said harshly. Her demeanor softened when Edward hung his head and shook slightly. "Harry Potter gave you a bonding ring, yes?"

Edward looked at her and nodded, fishing the ring out of his pocket. "Forever mine, Edward," he read quietly, rubbing the ring with the pad of his thumb.

"Bonding rings are not something to take lightly," the seer said just as quietly. "There is a matching pair made and, once put on, it siphons small amounts of life energy from the bonded couple. It establishes a connection between the pair and will eventually allow them to feel each other's emotions, tell whether or not they're safe, and so on. Unfortunately, your connection did not have nearly enough time to establish properly. However, because Harry Potter was wearing it before he started his transformation, the ring will call to him when he returns so that he may put it back on and the connection between you two can solidify. Guard that ring with your life, Edward Cullen."

Edward stuffed the ring back into his pocket, nodding solemnly. "So…all we can do is leave?" he asked, subdued.

The seer nodded. "Everything will work out," she repeated with a smile. "Leave. I believe I shall be seeing you in the future."

Edward blinked as the seer disappeared with a pop. Everything remained silent for a few moments before he grabbed a rock lying on the ground and threw it as hard as he could at the sky. His shoulders shook as he sunk to his knees, breathing raggedly.

"I was alone for so long and Harry fixed that," he whispered harshly. "And now he's gone and I need to wait again. I don't know…"

"We'll help you through this," Rosalie promised, wrapping her arms around Edward's frame. "You are not alone in this, Edward. We'll help you, I swear it…"

After a few moments, Edward collected himself and stood up. "Let's go," he said hollowly.

The drive home only made him feel sick. They needed to leave, and Harry was supposed to find them all by himself. He closed his eyes, but Harry's pleading face flashed vividly in his mind. Whimpering, he squeezed them tighter and breathed deeper.

As soon as they arrived at the house, Edward ran inside and found Alice. She looked better than when he'd left, but still worse than usual. Without a second thought, he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered, "and I'm sorry."

Rosalie quietly explained what they'd learned and before they knew it, the entire house was packed in boxes. Everything was ready to leave—except Edward's room. He walked into his room and sank onto the floor, finding himself unable to sit on his couch. He held the vase of Harry's dust in his hands with great care, staring into it aimlessly. The Forget-Me-Nots were on his knee as well as Harry's bonding ring. He gently touched the petals, lost in thought.

"Need help?"

Edward raised his head. "I feel empty. I know the seer said Harry was coming back, but I…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Esme smiled sadly. "None of that matters. Your mate is gone; you have every right to be upset," she told him softly. "Come; we need to leave."

Edward nodded his head and stood. Together they packed the rest of his things. He refused to let anyone touch Harry's vase, the Forget-Me-Nots, and the bonding ring. When everything was packed and ready to leave, the Cullens met in the front of their soon-to-be old house.

"Where are we going?" Edward asked softly.

"Forks," Carlisle said quietly. "We're going back to Forks."

Edward nodded his head and looked at the house one last time. He touched the bonding ring in his pocket. This was where he met Harry; where they shared sweet kisses and exchanged silly information about their lives. This was where he found his mate and where they shared painfully short, but blissfully sweet moments together.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's go."

He pulled his hand out of his pocket. Edward got into his car and followed his family as they drove off and away from their former home.

Harry would find him.

A/N: Gah! This chapter got away from me. I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so far (despite the intense emoness emanating from recent chapters). FF dot Net is still being blah with updating stories and posting new ones, but whatever. I thought at first that Edward was being somewhat girly in this chapter, but then I thought, "The hell with that! He just lost someone extremely important; he's allowed to be emotional." So, please let me know what you think!

This story is almost finished! Two more chapters and then the epilogue!


	15. Chapter 14 – A Rebuilt Life

Chapter 14 – A Rebuilt Life

"_Among the stars and past the moon, I search forever more for you. I've never found you. As I watch the sunset, I think, where have you gone and where are you now? Forevermore, I wonder…"_

/Edward/\Harry\

Nighttime was Edward's favorite time. He would often gaze at the stars, wondering if his Harry was up there still being reborn after all this time or if he ever made it back down to Earth. Two years had passed since Harry's untimely explosion, and Edward was becoming more depressed as the days rolled by. He desperately replayed the seer's comforting words in his mind as well as his family's assurances. That didn't help too much, though. He missed and needed his mate.

With a sigh, Edward grabbed a lighter and lit the wicks on two long white candles. In between the candles was an urn he'd made in ceramics class containing the star dust. He'd painted stars on it; emerald green stars that couldn't surpass the beauty of Harry's eyes. It was a small tribute to his currently lost love.

"Spring's nearly here," Edward told the urn. "I can plant more Forget-Me-Nots when it's warm enough."

Edward had discovered that talking to the star dust in the urn helped curb some of the loneliness. Despite no response, he was still talking to Harry in a way and felt lighter after doing so. His family tried their best not to listen to his conversation (since soundproof walls made by humans could only do so much), aware of how personal his ritual was. It was, in a way, almost like writing in a diary except he was talking to the dust of his mate. Edward gently petted Harry's bonding ring in his hand.

"I really miss you," he confessed softly. "I know you're going to come back, but it's not the same without you. It's funny, though I was lonely and sad before we met, that sinking feeling before seems like nothing now that I know you and don't have you."

He was silent for a few moments. Edward cleared his throat needlessly. "I ran into Chief Swan's daughter earlier today. She's new in town and she'll be starting school tomorrow. Her name's Isabella." Edward frowned. "I don't really like her. She's clumsy and the way she talked to her dad rubbed me the wrong way."

He shrugged his shoulders, glancing at the painting he'd finished earlier that was still drying. "There's something funny smelling about her blood, too. At first it smelt _really_ good and I thought she was my Singer, but then there was this disgusting scent of wet dog afterwards that made me want to go bury my head in the beach."

Edward continued to babble about his day, as was tradition, as he set up another blank canvas and slipped Harry's bonding ring onto a chain before slipping it over his neck. Paintings of Harry covered his wall. They didn't compare to the real thing, but Edward enjoyed making them. His favorite had to be of the one he made as a memento of his and Harry's first date at the beach, lying in the sand and holding hands as they shared tender kisses. Their legs were entwined together and they were so engrossed in each other that they didn't realize how beautiful the sky was, a mix of emerald and topaz.

"Oddly enough, I can't hear her thoughts." He paused with a frown. "That's actually more of a blessing than anything, really. I don't need to lose any more IQ points listening to these humans drone on and on about who likes who and other mundane, useless prattle."

Edward glanced at the urn with a small smile tugging at his lips. "The family is still waiting for your return. You're taking a long time, though." Edward chuckled slightly. "I want you now, but I guess waiting a few years is nothing compared to the lifetimes I've waited."

He dipped his paintbrush in the black paint, and set to work on painting his Harry. "The bonding ring has been tingling lately. Are you trying to find me?" he asked hopefully.

Silence.

"If you need any help, we're in Washington," he supplied with a nod. "In a small town called Forks. Odd, I know, but it is what it is. Of course, you already knew this. I've only been telling you for the past two years. But, just in case you want the help, it's there."

Edward faltered in his brush strokes. "I'm really sad, aren't I?" he mumbled softly. "I'm talking to an urn and painting you every spare moment I have." He sighed and set his brush down. "I've been feeling kind of odd talking to you this past week and a half. It's a weird feeling at the pit of my stomach and I just…God, I feel so stupid…"

Edward shook his head and stood up, making his way to the radio Emmett had gotten him last year. He turned the music on, not wanting to talk to the urn anymore and unable to stand the silence. With a deep sigh, he picked up his paintbrush and set to work again. The music danced around him softly, and he lost himself in the painting.

"Tell me that we belong together…" Edward sang sadly. His heart was so empty, yet felt so weighed down.

He hummed to the melody, a small smile dancing on his lips as he painted Harry's cute, quirky grin. When Harry looked at him with that grin, he couldn't stop his own lips from twitching upward. Harry's expressions and emotions were infectious, and also evoked some amusement in Edward. He loved watching Harry's moods change and what he loved even more was how he had a part in changing Harry's moods. _He_ made Harry laugh; _he_ made Harry happy; _he_ made Harry blush cutely. Edward realized that he wasn't meant to be alone forever; he was just meant to wait for Harry.

It was a shame he realized it too late.

Frowning slightly, Edward put down the paintbrush and shut off the music. He left his room and went downstairs. Carlisle had a rare day off, and the rest of his family was in the living room enjoying their time together. Edward felt a little selfish for wanting to spend most of his time in his room with his dark cloud of suffering.

Ever since they moved back to Forks, his family had been treated like spun glass. They saved their intimate relations with each other for when they went out hunting and Edward stayed behind, or whenever Edward was away. He was grateful that they hadn't wanted to remind him how he had painfully (albeit temporarily) lost his mate, but at the same time he was somewhat annoyed. It wasn't like he'd lost his mate permanently, though the empty hole in his heart felt he had. Harry _was_ going to come back to him.

Hopefully soon.

"Hey, Edward," Alice said casually. "Welcome to the outside world."

Edward cracked a smile at that. "Good to be back," he murmured quietly.

"Is there anything you want to do?" Esme asked worriedly, compassion shining in her eyes.

'_She's been worried about you lately_,' Jasper thought casually. '_We all have_.'

Edward winced slightly. "I'm fine," he assured. "Just didn't want to be in the room anymore."

"I ran into Bella Swan," Alice changed the subject. "She seems—"

"Nosy?" Rosalie supplied, her upper lip curled in distaste. "She asked about you, Edward."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "She almost ran into me and managed to drop my paints at the store," he told them. He frowned slightly. "Was it just me or did she smell kind of like—"

"Wet dog? It wasn't you." Rosalie rolled her eyes and flipped her hair back. "She must've been around those mutts on the reservation."

"Chief Swan and Billy Black are close," Carlisle reminded them.

"Doesn't mean they should pollute the air with wolf stench," Rosalie hissed, her nose wrinkled.

"She's going to be in your art class, Edward," Alice told him softly.

"Great, just what I needed." Edward sighed.

Emmett whistled. "Sorry, bro," he boomed. "But it could be worse. _Jasper_ could be stuck with the human."

Jasper gave the taller vampire a withering glare. Just because he had the hardest time adjusting to their lifestyle didn't mean Emmett could point it out every spare moment he had. "Whatever," he grumbled.

"We're also going to get a visitor. Another vampire," Alice informed them, her eyes glazed over. "He heard about us from the Denali clan."

Esme frowned slightly. "Why didn't they tell us?" she wondered aloud.

Alice shrugged. "He's not a threat. Maybe they saw no need."

They remained quiet for a bit. Edward cleared his throat. When he had their attention, he stood up and began to pace before speaking. "I think I owe you guys an apology," he started.

"Edward," Carlisle attempted.

"No, please let me finish." When they didn't interrupt him further, he continued, "I realized something a little earlier. Ever since Harry ex…ever since he began the transformation, I haven't been very good company. Losing Harry is definitely one of the worst experiences I've ever had, and I doubt I'll get over it until he's here with us. _But_, I shouldn't have just shut you guys out like I did, and I'm sorry. I know you were trying to help, but I didn't want to hear any of it."

Esme jumped out of her seat and engulfed him in a hug. "We know how hard it's been, Edward," she whispered soothingly. "You aren't to blame for anything. It was quite sudden, just up and moving back to Forks. Doing so after just losing your mate had to have been excruciatingly painful, and we _understand_. You aren't alone, Edward. Until Harry gets back, we'll help you get through this. Okay?"

Edward smiled and hugged her back. "Yes. Thank you," he said sincerely.

The tender moment was spoiled somewhat when Emmett yelled, "GROUP HUG!" and proceeded to jump on Edward's back. The air immediately felt lighter and was filled with laughter as they all enclosed Edward in a bundle of unconditional love. He felt the bonding ring around his neck become slightly warm, as if Harry himself was trying to comfort him.

Edward's smile widened. He wouldn't be happy without Harry by his side, but he'd make it with his family's help.

"Come, I want to show you guys something."

He led them to his room, his sanctuary since they moved to Forks. The first month and a half, just before school started, he'd locked himself in his room and forbade everyone from entering. He'd grieved alone all day until it was time to feed, where he was promptly accosted by Rosalie who had taken it upon herself to inform him that he was no longer allowed to banish himself to solitary confinement. They still respected his space and never entered his room, but were more active in trying to get him to cheer up (as much as one could after experiencing their mate's demise).

Esme gasped when she entered, her hand moving to her mouth. "Edward, these are wonderful," she breathed, gazing at the paintings in awe.

"I feel better when I paint him," Edward admitted. "It fills the void for a while."

"You're really good," Rosalie said softly, her fingers gently tracing the border of one of the best (in her opinion) paintings on the wall. In it Edward had his arms wrapped around Harry's slightly smaller frame. Harry's eyes were lit brightly, smiling widely as Edward kissed him on the temple. It was beautiful.

"Thanks." Edward was slightly embarrassed that his family was seeing the intimately personal paintings he'd worked on, but that was overcome with a happy feeling. It felt good to let them in again.

He glanced around at all of the paintings on his wall and at the urn. His hand reached up to touch the bonding ring on the chain, and he smiled a little. Life would never be the same without Harry, he knew this. Harry was too precious to live without. But he'd make sure that when his mate finally returned, he had something good to come back to. He wanted their reunion to be as happy and special as their first date was.

Edward glanced out the window as Harry's bonding ring warmed slightly. He'd make sure their reunion was perfect.

A/N: Two more chapters left. :( Thanks for all the support and advice, guys. This story wouldn't have been nearly as fun without everybody's nice reviews and criticisms. =) For the record, er, Bella is **_NOT _**going to be a sort of reincarnated Harry. It's an intriguing idea, but, well, **_hell no_**. She won't be bashed, but she isn't going to get freaky with Edward. I honestly cannot stand her character.

(Oh, and I'll update the chapter a day sooner if you can figure out what song Edward was singing. ;) The only clue I can give you is that it was in the soundtrack to a 2004 movie with Hillary Duff.) Please check out _Silent Love_, and remember to review!


	16. Chapter 15 – A Reunion

Chapter 15 – A Reunion

"_The evening star is shining bright, so make a wish and hold on tight. There's magic in the air tonight, and anything can happen…"_

/Edward/\Harry\

"Who are they?"

Edward wanted to break the table in half—with his head. Why couldn't he and his siblings go unnoticed _just once_? Did they always have to be the center of attention? All they wanted was peace. He sighed and shook his head. That new girl, Isabella Swan, was very nosy (almost all the humans were) and Edward frowned in disapproval. He'd spent the entire morning making sure he didn't cross paths with her until they unfortunately had to stay in the same room during art. Despite all of his efforts, however, Isabella Swan had found her way to the "popular" table during lunch and was now extracting the juiciest gossip they could squeeze out of their empty heads. He and his family played with their food as they listened on the conversation.

"Oh," Jessica Stanley replied with a roll of her eyes, glancing at the Cullens. "Those are the Cullens. They're all adopted siblings, but everyone except Edward is together."

"Really?" Isabella asked.

Jessica shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, no biggie," she said. "The blondes are Rosalie and Jasper Hale. Rosalie is with the giant looking guy, Emmett. Jasper is with the small girl, Alice. The last one is Edward."

"That's the one I almost ran into at the store," Isabella murmured quietly to herself. Edward rolled his eyes; had he not been a vampire, he would've been _steamrolled_ onto the floor. "He's pretty cute."

Jessica laughed. "He is, but you have no chance," she said matter-of-factly.

Edward smirked when Jasper relayed to him how offended Isabella felt. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Jessica smirked. "_Relax_. It means he's gay and won't be interested in you."

Edward nearly giggled at Isabella's shocked expression. Rosalie snorted into her hand at his reaction. "Are you sure?" Isabella asked. "Because I'm not getting that vibe from him."

"Gay people don't need to give out _vibes_ to be gay," another girl, Angela, pointed out. "And not to be rude or anything, but it is kind of obvious."

Edward's right eyebrow disappeared into his hairline. "If my sexual preference was that obvious, why do women still crawl all over me?"

"Because they're human and idiots and think they can change your mind?" Rosalie scoffed. "As if your sexual preference was the equivalent to taking off a pair of shoes."

Edward smirked a little at that. He remembered one occasion the previous year when a girl kept going up to him and asking him questions until he finally snapped. Normally his upbringing would prevent him from being rude to anyone of the female gender, but at the time his head wasn't exactly in the right place, with Harry's explosion still very fresh and painful in his memory, and so when she tried to touch and ask him what his type was, he'd been somewhat harsh in his response.

"There are two things I'm looking for in a partner, and that's both a brain and a penis! Since you seem to lack both, I don't see why you keep trying," Edward had snarled, not carrying about the hundreds of eyes on them. He lifted his left hand and flashed the ring Harry had given him proudly. "And I'm taken, so do me a huge favor and _back off_!"

Though they always gushed to their girlfriends about their secret (and rather kinky) fantasies with him, no girl had ever asked him out again.

"You're right," Isabella said quietly, slightly embarrassed. "It's a shame. All the good guys seem to be gay, taken, or fictional characters."

The table erupted into laughter and Edward felt himself crack a smile at that. He still didn't like the girl, but the comment she made was at the very least the most entertaining thing he'd seen in Forks since last month when a worm had been in Jessica's apple and, trying to get rid of it, she accidentally managed to chuck the apple into the principle's face. That had him giggling sporadically for days afterwards.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Edward sighed and emptied his tray, dreading going to art class. He didn't know if Isabella was going to be one of those girls who thought maybe she could change his mind. She didn't seem like it at the lunch table, but he didn't necessarily want to spend time with her and find out.

"Good luck," Emmett said with a chuckle. "Looks like you're going to need it."

Edward scowled at him before walking snail-like towards the art hallway. When he noticed Isabella following him (technically heading in the same direction since they had the same class and all, but he was increasingly paranoid about any female who deemed him cute and thus dubbed them all ravenous stalkers with grubby little paws that didn't seem to have the brain power to comprehend that he was _gay_), he sped up a little and made it to the class before the bell rang.

Mrs. Stevenson smiled at him. "That was close, Edward," she commented lightly. Isabella walked in a moment later, her face flushed as she panted. "Ah, Isabella. I see you managed to find the room."

"Bella is fine," the still panting girl replied.

"Class, you may grab your canvases in the back and continue from Friday. Remember, you may use whatever medium you desire as long as you can accurately express what you drew from the hat last time. Bella, come with me and I'll explain the assignment more in-depth as well as the rules of this classroom."

Edward immediately grabbed his canvas, smiling at the outline of Harry done in pencil. When he drew the index card with the word _warmth_ scrawled across it, he'd closed his eyes and tried to remember the last time he felt warm. Harry's face with that quirky grin immediately popped into his head and he set to work on drawing him. He was excited to finally paint it.

"Edward, being our advanced student, do you mind if Bella sits next to you and answer any questions she has?" Mrs. Stevenson asked warmly.

Edward forced a smile. "No problem," he said charmingly, though on the inside he felt as if an otherworldly force hated him.

Isabella smiled awkwardly at him as she gazed at her index card. _Tree_. "This is going to look so stupid. Everyone can draw a tree," she grumbled petulantly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Don't make the assignment harder than it is," he chided, a somewhat sharp edge in his tone. "The tree can be a metaphor. When you close your eyes and think of a tree, do you see the branches and the leaves? Do you see autumn? Do you see your family supporting you? Maybe you see the structure of a tree in something else?"

Isabella bit her lip in contemplation. "You're right," she decided. She smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Edward grunted and continued to paint his Harry, a peaceful smile on his face. He felt all the tension in his body relax away as he painted in Harry's pale, flawless skin. His eyes glazed over slightly, remembering how every time Harry grinned or laughed, his ears would sometimes wiggle adorably. Then he added Harry's midnight black hair, blacker than the night sky. Harry's eyes were harder to color since he didn't have the right shade of emerald.

Pausing momentarily to pull out his iPod, Edward noticed out of the corner of his eye Isabella trying to discreetly pick at his paintings and simultaneously work on hers. He sighed in slight annoyance and plugged in his ear buds, letting the music sway him back to a peaceful mood. He painted Harry quickly, lost in his own world and letting his brush flow fluently on his canvas.

Someone waved their hand in front of his painting. He looked up at Mrs. Stevenson and paused his iPod. "Yes?" he asked her.

"Edward, this is amazing," Mrs. Stevenson breathed. "Have you thought about entering into art contests?"

Edward blinked. "Not really," he admitted. "I can't say I'm too interested in it."

"Wow," Isabella said loudly, gathering the attention of the rest of the class. "That's amazing. Who is it?"

Murmurs erupted in the classroom. Edward didn't really like to stand out, so he tried to be average about everything. Despite that, he couldn't help but do his absolute best to paint his Harry and make sure the painting looked as close to his mate as possible. Staring at the canvas, Harry stared back at him, that quirky grin and twinkle in his eyes making Edward think he was up to something mischievous. There was an aura of multiple colors around him, giving the painting an overall warm and comforting feel.

"My boyfriend," Edward said clearly, glancing at the girl in the corner of his eye.

"He looks great," Isabella said with another awkward smile. "Where is he?"

Edward looked at her sharply. _'None of your business,'_ was at the tip of his tongue when someone knocked on the door and poked their head inside.

Mrs. Stevenson read the note before passing it to Edward. He nearly groaned when it said he would have a locker buddy. Two years of not having one and all of a sudden, he'd have to share that space with another human. It was simply fantastic.

"If you change your mind, Edward, let me know. A painting as beautiful as this can easily win first prize in a contest, or even be showcased in a gallery," she told him thoughtfully, her eyes running over his work.

Edward didn't have time to respond as the bell rang, signaling the end of class and school. He swiftly put away his materials and hung his canvas to dry. Grabbing his backpack, Edward left and maneuvered his way around the humans. He frowned, the surrounding thoughts louder than usual.

'_Oh, la, la. He is sexy.'_

'_I wonder if he's taken.'_

'_Wow, his accent is nice. Is that British?'_

'_His eyes are beautiful. I've never seen a shade of green like that before.'_

'_Did he just look at me?'_

Edward froze momentarily. British? Green eyes? Was it…? Hope seared through him before he could stop it. He broke into a light jog, following the thoughts and praying. People were looking at him oddly as if they'd never seen him run in the halls before—and he never had. He was always too calm and collected for that, but now that changed. Calm and collected could go screw itself if the 'gorgeous Brit with the pretty green eyes' was who he thought it was.

One whispered statement had joy explode inside of him. "He looks like the guy in Edward Cullen's painting," Isabella whispered to Angela. "I think that's his boyfriend."

Making it to his locker, where the whispers and thoughts were the loudest, Edward stopped and, though he didn't need it, his breath caught in his throat.

Leaning against his locker was his mate—his absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking mate. Harry looked somewhat anxious and nibbled on his lower lip. His jeans hugged his hips and his grey shirt was somewhat loose on his frame. In his hand was a single, red rose. He looked somewhat uncomfortable with so many people staring at him, and Edward was reminded that although Harry was rather popular when he was alive, he never enjoyed the attention nor did he ever get used to it.

Edward stared, transfixed at the sight of his lost mate before him, alive (sort of) and well. He couldn't detect a heartbeat, and Harry was paler than he'd been before, but his eyes were still the same beautiful shade of emerald green. It was confusing, but it didn't matter. Harry was there. Harry was _there_ in _front of him_. His dead heart fluttered wildly in his chest. _His Harry_ was _**THERE**_!

And then their eyes met.

The moment Harry saw him, he smiled widely and his eyes lit up. "Edward," Harry breathed, his expression becoming much more animated and filled with joy. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," Edward replied after a moment of awkward silence. He walked towards Harry, still not fully processing that his Harry was actually standing a few feet away from him.

"I, uh, got this for you," Harry said shyly, holding out the rose.

Edward could hear the collective '_Awwww_!' from the minds of many females, Alice and Rosalie included, but ignored them. He accepted the rose with a smile. "So, you're my new locker buddy?" he asked with a smile.

Harry grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Mhm," he murmured happily. He nibbled on his lip slightly before his eyes narrowed and he flicked Edward on the head.

Edward blinked in shock. "What was that for?"

Harry cocked an eyebrow at him. "That, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, was for being so damn hard to track down!" he exclaimed, his tone somewhat annoyed, but mostly relieved and happy. "I was only gone for a week, and what do I come back to? You gone! I just spent the last two years travelling across this bloody country looking for you!"

Edward couldn't help but smile. "You did?" he asked softly.

Harry coughed, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well," he stammered, "you're mine as much as I'm yours."

Edward's smile widened. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the necklace with Harry's bonding ring on it. He yanked off the chain, uncaring as some of the tiny links fell to the floor, and grabbed Harry's hand. He slipped the ring on his left ring finger, smiling when his own bonding ring warmed in response.

Ignoring everyone else and their reactions, he pulled Harry in close and kissed him. It was a short kiss, chaste and sweet. Edward poured everything he was feeling into that kiss; longing, desire, relief, joy, gratefulness, love. Harry reciprocated with just as much emotion, wrapping his arms around Edward and pulling him a little closer.

They were interrupted when Emmett sniffled loudly. "This is all just so romantic," he said, wrapping his arms around his own mate.

Rosalie smiled, dazzling some of the humans around her. "Let's go home," she said softly, ignoring her mate's antics.

Edward wrapped his arm around Harry's waist possessively. "Tell me everything?" he murmured into his mate's hair.

Harry nodded. "Of course," he whispered back. He looked at Edward with love and adoration.

Edward smiled as he led Harry to his car, holding the door open for him before hopping into the driver's side. He drove with his left hand, using his right to clasp Harry's hand and stroke it with his thumb. The car ride was silent, but they didn't need words to explain how they were feeling. Their emotions were clear, and Edward didn't think he could put into words how happy and ecstatic he was to have Harry right there by his side again. It was surreal and, if he were honest with himself, he was slightly afraid that if he closed his eyes, Harry would be gone and he would be stuck in a world of loneliness again.

"I'm sorry," Harry said quietly, turning his head to stare at Edward. "I'm so sorry I left."

"You didn't have any control over it," Edward reasoned softly. He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. He turned to face Harry and cupped his face gently. "I'm just really glad you're back. I had thought I'd lost you, and I was lost. I know you tried to prevent Alice from letting me see, but I _had_ to know. When I saw you explode," Harry flinched, "my world came crashing down. I don't think I've ever felt so alone."

Harry bowed his head. "I didn't know I was going to be reborn like that," he admitted. "I had my suspicions before I met you and knew I was your mate. But when Vanora told me I was turning into a vampire, I was happy because in the short time we spent together, I grew to care for you and can now honestly tell you that I love you very much."

Edward smiled. "I love you, too. More than I've ever loved anyone," he said softly, leaning towards Harry. "I wish I had the chance to tell you two years ago."

Harry laughed breathlessly, his gaze transfixed on Edward's mouth. "I suppose we'll have to make up for lost times, hm?" he suggested, his eyes half-lidded. They closed of their own accord when Edward's lips met his again. This time, his tongue reached out to greet Harry, who opened his mouth to grant entrance. Harry moaned softly and leaned closer to Edward, their tongues tangling in a dance they hadn't been able to perform.

It was true, what they said. Absence did, indeed, make the heart grow fonder. Their kiss was becoming more heated and passionate, and neither of them wanted to stop. They didn't want to separate again, and not needing air to breathe certainly helped them achieve that goal. Edward's hands snaked their way to the back of Harry's head and he held his mate in place, loving the feel of Harry's soft hair.

Edward hesitantly pulled away, gazing at Harry's thoroughly debauched expression with a satisfied smirk. "I've missed you so much," he whispered, raw vulnerability in his voice. "I'm scared you'll disappear again."

"I'm not going anywhere," Harry assured softly, kissing Edward on his forehead. "Come on. Let's go inside; I'll explain what happened."

Harry got out of the car and opened Edward's door, leading Edward by the hand into the house. He paused suddenly and hugged Edward fiercely, burying his head in Edward's shoulder. He sighed contentedly and smiled.

"Harry?"

Harry and Edward broke apart, and Harry smiled at Esme. "Hi," he called shyly, unsure of how the motherly vampire would react.

"Oh, I'm so happy you've returned!" Esme cried, running over to the former Boy Who Lived and hugged him fiercely. "You and Edward must be so happy!"

Harry relaxed and laughed. "I'm really happy to be back with him," he confessed perkily. "And if we get inside, I'll be more than happy to explain what happened."

Esme nodded her head rapidly. "Yes, of course." She paused and hugged Edward. "I'm so happy for you, Edward," she whispered.

Edward grinned. His emotions were contagious, causing the rest of his family to smile and Jasper to giggle uncontrollably. Harry was promptly given a tour of ever room in the house except Edward's—no, _his_ and Edward's.

Once the family was gathered in the living room, they briefed Harry on all that had happened as they waited for Carlisle to arrive. When he did come home, Harry found himself engulfed in another hug.

"So…why'd you go 'splodey?" Emmett asked bluntly, earning a smack on the arm from Rosalie.

Harry smiled nervously at the group of vampires he'd begun to associate with the word family. "Well, you see, apparently there were two ways I could've become a vampire. The first would have been to…_completely_ bond with Edward. The bond would've caused a chemical reaction that would've helped transform me into a vampire. Because we didn't, my star body needed to perish."

"Oh," Carlisle said in understanding, nodded his head. "What happened after you…well…"

Harry's smile turned a little sad. "It took a week for my vampire body to be made," he told them.

"What do you mean by that?" Alice asked, her nose scrunching in confusion.

"I mean that when my body perished, I was only a spirit, really," he explained. "I ended up back in the skies and stood before the council." Harry stood up and began to pace.

"Why'd you need to go before the council?" Jasper asked.

Harry chuckled somewhat sadly and bitterly. "They explained to me why my life was the way it was," he said, frowning slightly. His voice hardened in anger. "I found out that I didn't…I didn't need to jump in front of Hermione. She and my godson were never in any danger from dying. That cutting curse would've nicked her in the arm and the Aurors would've arrived moments later. She watched me die and it was for _nothing_!"

Esme gasped. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"If I hadn't jumped in front of Hermione, nobody would've died," Harry continued, shaking his head.

"You couldn't have known that," Rosalie reasoned, shaking her head as well. "You saw your heavily pregnant and vulnerable friend about to die and you reacted—quite honorably, if I do say so myself."

Harry cracked a smile. "Now that I think about it, I can't say that I completely regret it," he admitted. "I mean, I regret traumatizing her and causing my family so much pain…" He turned towards Edward and his smile widened. "But if I hadn't died, I wouldn't have met _you_. Well, technically speaking, I would have, but I would be bonded to someone else, and you would've been involved with a human girl. The results wouldn't have been pretty."

Edward's eyes widened. "A _human_?" he asked in disbelief. "Why would I get involved with a _human_ or even a _girl_ for that matter?"

"It doesn't matter. It hasn't happened, nor will it," Harry said, waving his hand dismissively. "So, anyways, the council explained it all to me. My becoming a star and answering Edward's call was all predestined; a match made in heaven, they said. We were meant to be together, and because I chose to die for someone else that I loved, they had decided that I deserved you." Harry smiled lovingly at his mate.

Edward would be blushing if he could. "I think it's the other way around," he denied.

"But, of course, you have to work hard for just about everything in life," Harry said with a laugh. "When I came back down to Earth, you were all gone. I was so lost. I…I didn't know what to do or how to find you. I remembered the talks I had with Edward, and he mentioned places you'd lived in before. I decided to try looking there, and I've been searching for you for two years. The only reprieve I had was that the council gave me back my magic, and it sort of…mellowed out my vampirism, I guess you could say. It was still really hard, and I was about ready to break down when I ran into some old friends of yours. The Denali clan?"

Alice gasped. "_You're_ the visitor!" she realized.

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "I asked them not to tell you about me; I wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, it was a bit of a pain to travel from Alaska to Washington, but it was a small issue compared to wandering around this foreign country for two years."

"The humans were starting to get suspicious," Edward explained softly. "We had no choice but to leave."

Harry nodded. "I can understand that," he said. He grabbed Edward's hand in his and softly stroked it with his other hand. "I'm really happy I found you."

Edward smiled and stood up. "I'll show you where you'll be staying," he said gently.

There was a look in his eyes that made Harry shiver slightly. "Yeah, okay," he replied breathily, smiling shyly.

"I'm going to go feed," Emmett said loudly, "and give you two lovebirds some privacy."

The family laughed as Edward shot the brawny vampire a dirty look before leading his mate upstairs, silently thankful that his family decided to evacuate the house. When he opened his door and allowed Harry inside, Harry gasped in awe. He sniffled slightly at the beautiful portraits and the urn. Edward wrapped his arms around his mate and held him.

"It was hard for me too, to be without you," Edward murmured, "but you're here now. I'm sorry you were alone for these years, but you have all of us now."

Harry smiled and kissed him. "I love you," he said softly.

Edward smiled and walked away, turning on his radio. Soft, sweet music played and he swept Harry into his arms, leading him into a slow dance. "I love you too," he whispered, "more than life itself."

Their bodies melded together and they enjoyed the closeness, swaying gently to the music. They shared another kiss, not really getting enough to satisfy the hunger that had grew the past two years apart. The kiss deepened and Harry let out a soft moan that shot a jolt of electricity through Edward.

The music continued to play as they managed to make their way to the bed, not once breaking apart. They collapsed on the bed, Edward on top of Harry. He pulled away to look at his mate, committing Harry's image to memory. Their clothes were slowly discarded as they took the time to memorize ever inch of each other, just in case.

_**-Lemon omitted. The full version will be located at TSS, AFF, HP Fandom, and Forever Fandom.-**_

Their bonding rings warmed considerably and both were overwhelmed with the loving adoration the other felt. Harry leaned up and kissed Edward gently. Not one word was spoken afterwards; they didn't need words. Words weren't enough to describe what they were feeling, and how deeply they were affected by the other's presence. The bonding rings were translating their emotions just fine, and they were happy to lay in each other's arms and ignore the sticky mess they'd made.

They were together again, and that was all that mattered.

A/N: I was listening to 'I'll Be' over and over as I wrote this chapter, and I do hope you like it. The lemon is actually very non-descriptive. It's more sensual than anything since I think after waiting two years, you're more likely to make love to your mate rather than bend them over and have sex with them. Still, to be safe, it's posted on other adult-friendly websites. This has the epilogue left and it's complete. Please review!


	17. Epilogue – A Happily Ever After

Epilogue – A Happily Ever After

_"Stars are out tonight and you're the brightest one shining in my sky. It's like every wish I ever made came true the day I woke up lying next to you."_

/Edward/\Harry\

Edward was hiding something.

Harry frowned and tapped his chin in contemplation. His mate had been acting funny ever since their graduation two months ago. It was as if Edward didn't want Harry to figure something out, which was somewhat puzzling since they told each other everything.

At least, Harry thought they told each other everything.

He couldn't quite figure out what Edward was hiding, though. He knew Edward wasn't having an affair. No, his mate was much too honorable for that (and he'd be able to smell another's scent, thanks to his heightened senses). Still, the way he would sneak around was fishy in Harry's book. His frown deepened. What could Edward possibly have to hide?

Harry heard the phone ring and grinned when he heard his friend's voice over it. "Harry, phone!" he heard Esme call needlessly.

He ran down the stairs and purred into the phone, "And how is your wolfy mate, Miss Swan?"

Harry had found a surprising friend in Isabella Swan when he officially started at Forks High the day after he'd found Edward. At first he'd been kinda skeptical, having heard her talk with her friends about how attractive she found him and his mate. However, there was something about her that made him, albeit hesitantly, befriend her.

It definitely helped that she was the imprint of Jacob Black. His connection to her certainly helped the Cullens and the shifter pack become _slightly_ amiable towards each other, though it required severe squinting to see the actual change.

Edward still cringed in disgust when Bella came over and made sure he took Jasper with him to feed during those visits. Alice, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme hadn't minded her presence and treated her as well as they treated each other. Rosalie, on the other hand, would look down her nose at the human and would comment under her breath at Harry's lack of taste in associates. Knowing her, Harry merely laughed it off.

"He's great," Isabella said, giggling. "I actually called to ask you something."

Harry frowned slightly at the nervousness in her tone. Before he could respond with anything, Alice came running into the room, jumping up and down as she squealed, "Awwwww! Congratulations, Harry! You too, Bella!"

"What was that about?" Harry asked, confused. He could tell Isabella was fidgeting over the phone.

"I'm expecting something in a few months," she blurted out, "of the small, adorable, and possibly blue or pink variety."

Harry blinked before his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, wow, congratulations!" he gushed. "How far along are you exactly?"

"Two months," Isabella said dreamily, reminding Harry momentarily of Luna Lovegood.

"Oh, so that means you two were…_freaky_…on graduation day, huh?" Harry teased.

"Harry!" Isabella said, scandalized. "You're making me almost regret my decision to call you."

Harry laughed. "What was it that you wanted to ask me?"

Isabella turned bashful again. "Well, you've been a really good friend to me since we first met, and I was kinda hoping you could…possibly…be the baby's godfather."

Harry gasped before nodding his head. He realized Isabella couldn't see him and he said, "I'd love to."

Isabella squealed happily. Edward took this moment to come home from wherever he'd snuck off to, heard her, threw Harry an annoyed look, and promptly walked back outside, muttering, "Stupid human girl can't keep away from _my_ mate."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hey, Bella, I'm going to have to call you back. We can talk all about the baby and plan later, okay?"

"Is something wrong?" Isabella asked, a frown evident in her voice.

"Nah, Edward's just being silly and that's my cue to give him some more attention," Harry replied easily, grinning at his mate's hopeful scowl through the window.

Isabella laughed. "I'll leave you to it," she teased. "Remember, use protection."

"You'd know about that, eh?"

Harry laughed at the dial tone. He hung up the phone and sauntered outside the house, wrapping his arms around his mate's neck.

"I still don't like her," Edward grumbled.

"You don't have to," Harry whispered. "But I'd really like to…_like_…you right now."

Edward grinned, ignored the coughed comments on their sexual life courtesy of Emmett, and kissed Harry thoroughly. He absently flipped Emmett off when the comments became more personal. "Ah, well, I suppose we should go upstairs then."

Harry laughed. "I don't know. I think Emmett wanted to watch us."

Emmett looked scandalized and stood up as gracefully as someone of his build could. "I'll just go find my Rose. It's obvious that the two of you are hormone-driven, and I have no desire to see my brothers doing the nasty, thank you very much," he said haughtily as he nearly glided back into the house.

Edward snorted. "Oh, look, Harry, he's been taking princess lessons from Rosalie," he murmured into his mate's ear, grinning at Emmett's outraged protest and Harry's shiver.

Harry shook his head. "I'm in the mood for a shower," he said quietly, laughing when Edward tossed him over his mate's shoulder and walked up the stairs.

"Honestly, you two," Esme said from her spot in the living room, shaking her head and smiling. She stood along with the rest of their siblings who rolled their eyes and made lewd comments. "We're just going to go feed for a while."

It was an unspoken agreement that whenever a couple decided to have sex, the rest of the family would vacate. Of course, Emmett had learned early on that sometimes being away for only one hour was just not enough. He'd shrieked when he heard Edward and Harry still going at it and ran back into the forest, leaping into a laughing Rosalie's arms and crying about never getting the sounds out of his head. Harry had been embarrassed at first, especially since Emmett couldn't keep his latest tragic ordeal to himself and decided to _warn_ the rest of the family.

Harry had his revenge months later when he "accidentally" stumbled on Emmett and Rosalie during one of their kinky games. It was then that he realized why exactly Sirius had loved taking pictures of his pranks; it provided excellent blackmail material. Emmett still hadn't figured out that Rosalie was the mastermind behind the kinky pictures. Apparently, it made their sex life hotter.

When they reached the bathroom, Edward put Harry down and began to slowly strip, well aware of his mate's eyes on him. He smirked knowingly at Harry as he wiggled out of his tight jeans and underwear before leaning over and turning on the water. They had discovered early on in their relationship that having sex in the shower was thrilling and something they greatly enjoyed. With the water running down their bodies and having only the wet, slippery tiles to hold onto, the sensations accompanied with sex seemed to heighten and explode.

The first time they tried it, however, the intensity had caused them to accidentally break the glass doors and kick out part of the tub. Esme had moaned when she saw the state of her lovely bathroom, and Emmett couldn't stop laughing. In the end, the bathroom was remodeled and they had a bigger bathtub/shower to prevent further damages.

It was an excellent decision.

_**-Lemon omitted. The full version will be located at TSS, AFF, HP Fandom, and Forever Fandom.-**_

They panted for a while and stood motionless before Harry pulled out and Edward let out a low chuckle. "We're dirty again," he murmured, giving Harry a heated grin.

Harry laughed breathlessly. "Can't have that, can we?"

Edward kissed Harry hard, running his hands over his mate's body. They didn't leave the bathroom for a while, only shutting off the water and stopping their mutual worship over each other's bodies when Emmett screamed as he entered the house, "You had better be done! I don't want to hear anything!"

Harry snorted. "Then you should've stayed in the forest," he grumbled good-naturedly, knowing Emmett could hear him.

Edward laughed, stepping out of the shower and toweling off before he proceeded to dry Harry. "Yes, well, we all know Emmett has some voyeur tendencies."

"Do not!" Emmett screamed from downstairs.

Harry and Edward ignored him as they dressed and entered the living room. "Of course you don't," Harry chirped.

Before Emmett could think of anything witty, the rest of the family entered the house. Alice looked pointedly at Edward, who nodded with a somewhat hesitant grin. Harry glanced at them suspiciously.

"Harry, you know how we have to move to avoid suspicion?" Edward asked him.

Harry cocked an eyebrow, but nodded his head. "Yes, I know. Have we decided where we're going yet?"

Edward scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "That's the thing," he said slowly. "You see, your birthday is in a few days and I wanted to do something nice for you."

Warmth and nervousness filled Harry. "Go on," he said encouragingly.

"I've already picked out the place and whatnot. All we need to do is move there. It's in a magical community, and if you like it, we were thinking of staying there permanently," Edward blurted out. "You can even keep in touch with that human girl and her mutt."

Harry gave Edward a look. "Jacob's not too bad, and neither is Bella," he said admonishingly. "And why are you so nervous? I mean, I'm kinda disappointed that you already chose without me, but I'm really happy that you had me in mind."

Alice stood and, after a nod from Edward, moved next to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder. "What Edward is trying and failing to tell you is that our new home would be in Britain, in a recently developed complex for magical creatures and beings in Ottery St. Catchpole."

Britain? Ottery St. Catchpole? The Burrow?

Harry froze, looking at his mate with wide eyes. "What?" he whispered, shocked.

"We know how important your family is to you, and we wanted you to be near them now that you're not banned from Britain by that ridiculous council anymore," Edward said softly, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Harry looked around the room at the other Cullens. "You all agree with this?" he asked quietly.

Esme and Carlisle beamed at him. "It would be an honor to live with you in the world that you belong to where we can don't have to constantly move around," the doctor said kindly.

"It'll be fun," Emmett said loudly, grinning from ear to ear.

Jasper chuckled. "I think we've spent more than enough time in this world," he added. "It'll be interesting to meet people you grew up with."

"Imagine the clothes!" Alice squealed. Rosalie nodded in agreement, smirk firmly planted on her face. "I hear Wizarding fashion has improved tremendously thanks to Pansy Parkinson and her wife Lavender Brown-Parkinson. We've already seen some of their clothing designs, and let me tell you, they are absolutely _divine_!"

"Parkinson and Lavender?" Harry asked, shocked. He blinked a few times and shook his head. "Wow, I didn't see that one coming."

"You knew them?" Rosalie asked curiously.

"They were in my year with Lavender in the same house as me, Gryffindor, and Parkinson in our rival House, Slytherin," Harry explained, feeling somewhat detached.

He couldn't believe they of all people had hooked up. It didn't matter, of course, considering he wasn't close to either of them, but it only seemed to emphasize how he'd missed certain events of the Wizarding world. Granted, it was partly his fault for neglecting his star duties and getting banned from the skies of Britain. He'd briefly entertained the thought of what would've happened if he hadn't been banned, but immediately pushed that out of his head. If he'd stayed hovering over Britain, he never would've met Edward and he was more than happy with his mate.

"So…are you okay with us moving there?" Esme asked somewhat hesitantly, seeing him battling some emotions.

Harry bowed his head, a strangled laugh escaping him. "Thank you," he whispered, looking up at his vampire family. "Thank you so much. It's the best gift I've ever gotten."

Edward smiled, relieved by Harry's reaction, and enveloped his mate in a hug. "We've done a ton of research about it, and we can Floo there. We also had some goblins put up very strong wards."

"How could you afford it?" Harry asked, gaping slightly.

Carlisle chuckled. "As a doctor, I'm already being paid more than enough to provide for our family. Think of how much we've saved and accumulated over the years. Besides, Alice had suggested back in 1975 that Microsoft would be something great to buy stock in."

Alice grinned. "I do love knowing the future," she cackled.

Edward rolled his eyes before standing. "Come on," he said softly, tugging at Harry's hand. "We can go see it now."

"Wait," Harry cried, letting go of Edward's hand with his eyes wide. "Wait, this is just so…I need a moment to…"

Edward blinked, a little shocked, but then nodded his head sheepishly. "It's a bit much to take in, isn't it?" he mumbled.

Harry nodded his head, swallowing thickly. "I want to go, but…I mean…I'm fairly certain the Weasleys will still be in the Burrow, which is in Ottery St. Catchpole, and I'm just… What if we run into them? What if they're angry with me? They've spent all these years thinking I was dead and then I just suddenly waltz into their lives?"

Edward gently grasped Harry's chin and made him look into his eyes. "They're your family," he murmured softly. "They will love and accept you no matter what."

Harry blinked before nodding his head. "You're right. Of course you're right; you're obscenely old. Old people are very wise," he babbled.

Edward glared slightly at his mate for the mention of his age again before transferring his glare to his family who tried to hide their laughter while some (_Emmett, that twat_) chortled at his expense. "Ready to go?" he asked Harry, ignoring Emmett's taunting thoughts.

Harry took in a deep, unnecessary breath before nodding and standing up. "I wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing," he murmured. "Might as well face my fate with my head held high."

Edward gave Harry a small, proud smile. "Our Floo address is Veggie Vamps."

Harry snorted. "Were the cool names taken?" he teased.

Alice left before returning in the blink of an eye with a container of Floo powder. "Here you go," she said gently with a smile.

Harry stared at the powder, his dead heart feeling as if it were thrumming wildly in his chest. The last time he used Floo powder was in the year 2000, just before he'd died. He had fire called Mione to set up their lunch date. His eyes glazed over slightly. That was around nine years ago. His hand slightly trembling as he grabbed a handful of Floo powder, his magic crawling under his skin in excitement, Harry walked briskly over to the fireplace. He glanced at his vampire family once more and grinned before tossing the powder into the fire and calling, "Veggie Vamps!"

It was quite a travel, to say the least. When he was alive, he never traveled across the ocean. He could see other fireplaces and pure magic swirling around him as he was swept to his new home. Despite having a supernatural grace, it seemed Harry still hadn't mastered the art of landing on his own two feet when traveling. He pouted slightly before standing up and waving the wand he'd gotten a couple of years ago to rid himself of the soot.

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he took in his new surroundings. The new house—or rather, what he could see of it—was absolutely breathtaking. A sniffle escaped him when he saw the photos on the fireplace. They were of him and Edward embracing, tenderness and love clearly visible in their stances. There was one of the time he and Emmett had gotten into a paint war and poor Jasper was caught in the crossfire. The three of them were covered in bright colors and their expressions were happy; a perfect image of sibling love forever frozen in time.

The moving pictures, however, caused his unbeating heart to clench almost painfully. Images of him, Ron, and Hermione in their Hogwarts uniforms made him want to cry, especially when Ron and Hermione in the picture grabbed him and tried to give him noogies. Another picture showed Fred and George looking shocked as the boxes in their hands exploded, covering them in slime and flour. It was the only time Harry had been able to prank them. Even in the photo, it was obvious that George was missing an ear and Fred had a horribly disfiguring scar from just above his left eyebrow trailing downwards to his right shoulder. Harry stared at the wounds covered slightly from the mess in the photo solemnly; disfiguration was a hell of a lot better than death.

The other picture made him snort. It was taken seven months after the war ended. He and Draco Malfoy shook hands hesitantly, both their noses scrunching in distaste. They were nowhere near friends or even allies, but in order to work at Hogwarts together, Headmistress McGonagall had demanded a (despite the hesitant nature of it) truce. The only thing that truce had ever led to was them toning down their childish rivalry until they were in private. There was, of course, the occasional heated argument at the Head Table while they kicked each other, but it didn't contain the same level of vicious cruelty it used to. The death of his father and godfather had really helped mature Malfoy, even if he would forever be a brat who lived off his daddy's money in Harry's eyes.

Harry blinked in surprise at the next picture. It was a still, Muggle photo and obviously old. In it, his mother and Severus Snape were actually smiling. They were sitting at a table in a library, books chaotically surrounding them. He still didn't like the git, and probably never would, but Snape had sacrificed a great deal, and ultimately his life, to making sure Harry had won the war. Alongside the mutual dislike was a begrudging amount of respect that Harry acknowledged with a solemn nod at the picture, even if the bitter old Potions Master could not and would not ever be able to see it.

Another picture that softened Harry's eyes was one of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin smiling at him. Remus' hands were placed over her swollen belly, and his smile radiated pride. It'd broken Harry's heart when he saw their bodies placed with the other fatalities of the Battle of Hogwarts. They had a son, and they would never be able to watch him grow. It was so painfully parallel to Harry's own life that he'd vowed to make sure his little godson was the happiest little boy in the world. His grandmother, Andromeda, was more than capable of doting on her daughter's son. Still, Harry had wanted to be there for Teddy in the absence of his parents.

Then, of course, he'd died just before Teddy's second birthday and was unable to do anything. His godson would be attending Hogwarts this year.

Harry stared at all of the pictures adorning the walls, marveling at the sheer number of them. His heart was about ready to burst with happiness and nostalgia; how on earth did Edward and the rest of his vampire family acquire all of the pictures? Did they have any idea how much it meant to him?

Of course they did. Harry smiled and continued to explore his new dwelling, paying no mind to the arrival of the Cullens with, what he assumed, was the rest of their things from Forks. It was rather easy to find his and Edward's room. It was such a smooth combination of both of their personalities that Harry couldn't help but marvel at how made for each other he and his mate were. He was so lucky…

Edward knocked on the door to their bedroom. "Do you like it?" he asked quietly.

Harry walked towards his mate with slow purpose and kissed him deeply, slowly, sweetly, tenderly, madly. "I can't…I can't explain in words how happy I am," he whispered roughly. "I'd accepted that my past was to be left behind and though I was saddened, the prospect of a future with you and everyone else had eased that pain. I never imagined that I'd be able to have my cake and eat it, too."

Edward chuckled lowly. "I'm not done with your birthday surprise," he whispered before bending slightly and kissing Harry chastely. "I'm sort of afraid you'll be overwhelmed by the next one."

Harry softly peppered Edward's face with kisses, needing to express the strong emotions within him. "You've done more than enough," Harry said breathily. "I've never been so happy."

"I think you'll love the next surprise even more," Edward murmured.

Harry pulled away, looking at his mate with a curious eye. "What is it?"

Edward shook his head. "I'll be taking you somewhere, but you'll need to be blindfolded."

Harry bit his lip. "O…kay…" he said slowly. "I trust you."

Edward gave him a heart-stopping grin (and he knew it stopped hearts; stupid human girls didn't understand the concept of taken) and reached into his back pocket to pull out a long strip of silky red fabric. He tied it around Harry's head and led him down the stairs and out the house. Harry could hear the Cullens following them. When they left the sanctuary of their new home, Harry could suddenly hear and smell other magical creatures and beings around them. He could hear children squealing and running around.

Edward led him quickly down a dirt road. It smelt somewhat familiar to him, but Harry brushed that off as him simply recalling the scent of his home country. His magic could feel a slight tingle as they passed through wards and he frowned slightly. He couldn't hear or smell anything other than grass, dirt, and wood. Before he could open his mouth and ask, the blindfold was removed and he sucked in a sharp breath.

The Burrow hadn't changed at all in the past nine years. It didn't feel like nearly a decade had passed; instead, it was as if Harry had been gone mere days. His hand reached out to grasp Edward's arm and he squeezed, staring at the place where his summers had always been the greatest.

"What if they're angry with me?" he asked quietly despite the fact that his question had been answered nearly an hour ago.

Esme came up behind him and squeezed his shoulder. "They're family," she whispered soothingly. "They'll understand."

Harry nodded his head, understanding but still not quite believing it. He took one step towards the Burrow, then another, and another until he was at the front door. With a shaky sigh, he reached up and knocked softly on the door before he could lose his nerve.

He waited impatiently, attempting in vain to flatten his still wild hair and smooth his wrinkled shirt. Harry had gotten so used to his vampire senses that not being able to hear or smell anything inside of the Burrow was rather disconcerting and put him on edge. Maybe they weren't home? Maybe the wards surrounding the property told them he was a vampire and they didn't want one of his kind there? Nah, that was just silly. Harry kicked that thought out of his head; Hermione had stood up for werewolves, centaurs, house elves, and giants. Surely something like him being a vampire would be of no consequence.

The door opened before he could further ponder. He stared at Hermione Weasley with no small amount of anxiety. She looked almost exactly the same. Her hair was still bushy, her teeth were fixed though still a tad big, and she wore Muggle clothing. It took all of two seconds for her to react, and he flinched at the anger and pain that shone in her eyes. Her wand was out and at his throat in three and a half seconds, grudgingly impressing him with her speed.

"Why can't you people leave it be?" she whispered harshly as her eyes welled with tears. "I get it, Harry was the savior and your beacon of light and your precious hope in one fantastic package, but he's _dead_! He saved the whole bloody world for you; can't you let him find peace in the afterlife? Polyjuicing into him won't bring him back! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

Harry blinked in shock. "What?" he asked, startled.

Hermione faltered slightly before she dug her wand a little more into his neck. "Sounding like him, too? I'll admit that's more advanced than any of the other fakers that tried to pull this crap, but you made a mistake coming here today! You have ten seconds to get off this property or I'll show you exactly how I helped Harry in the war!"

Harry gave her a small, sad smile at the threat. She didn't need to show him; he knew first-hand what she could do. Still, the thought of other people trying to pass themselves off as him broke his heart. As if seeing her friend die in front of her wasn't enough, she also had to deal with imposters trying to pass themselves off as the famous Harry Potter. "It really is me, Mione," he whispered.

Hermione angrily brushed away the stray tears that escaped her eyes. She eyed the Cullens behind the 'imposter-Harry' who looked protective and yet, at the same time, bitterly understanding. "Harry is dead," she hissed coldly. "I saw him die. There was no way he could've become a vampire."

"Vampires aren't immune to Veritaserum," Harry pointed out quietly.

Hermione's eyes widened and she aimed her wand. "_Finite Incantatem_," she murmured. When nothing changed, she immediately began casting all the revealing spells she had in her arsenal (which had grown significantly in nine years), her eyes widening when Harry gave her a sad yet bemused look. "Ron! Ron, get out here!"

Harry could smell his old best mate running towards the door, alarmed at Hermione's panicked tone. He looked at Ron Weasley with a small grin. The red-haired wizard hadn't changed much, either. Ron had grown at least another three inches and he had a slight tan, probably from being out on the job. His freckles stood out on his face, and he had rice stuck on the side of his face. Harry guessed they'd been eating and, knowing Ron, his old friend had tried to inhale the food.

Ron took one look at Harry before he, too, had his wand out in seconds. "Blimey, you people don't know when to quit, do you?" he demanded angrily. "Get off my property before I haul you in!"

Hermione clutched at his arm, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "Get your Veritaserum," she whispered insistently. "Please, quickly!"

Ron looked confused. "What?" he asked incredulously. "Hermione, you can't believe—"

"Ron, he's not wearing a glamour and he hasn't taken any appearance-altering potions," Hermione exclaimed. She made a wild gesture with her hands. "Check for yourself!"

Ron looked more than a bit skeptical, but did as she said, his face growing paler when the results showed no sort of deception. He ran back inside his house, ignoring his children's inquiries, and found his Auror pack. Grabbing out the bottle of Veritaserum, he rushed back to the front door. "Do you consent to consuming five drops of Veritaserum, the standard for vampire suspects, on the tongue?" he asked formally, his voice subdued and wavering.

Harry nodded his head. "I do," he murmured.

Ron quickly administered the five drops and waited for Harry's eyes to be glazed over. "What is your name?"

"Harry James Potter-Cullen," Harry said dazedly.

"When were you born?" Hermione asked.

"In Godric's Hollow on July 31, 1980."

"Did you die on April 24, 2000?"

"I did," Harry admitted. "I jumped in front of Mione and took a cutting curse to the throat."

Hermione let out a small cry. "What is your Patronus form? When did you learn it? How did we free Buckbeak and Sirius in third year? How are you here if you said you died?"

"A stag, my father's Animagus form. I learned it from Remus Lupin in third year after I fell off my broom during Quidditch. It was the first game I ever lost. We used your Time Turner to free Buckbeak and Sirius." Harry paused and smiled. "Ron thought he was going bonkers because it seemed like we were in two places at once. He'd wondered how you'd done it all year. After my death, I was reborn."

Hermione shook slightly and had to take deep breaths to calm herself. "What do you mean rebirth?" she whispered.

"I mean I was given the means to find my life mate and then I was reborn into the same race as my life mate, a vampire," Harry answered. His eyes slowly lost the dazed look as the Veritaserum began to wear off.

"How long have you been a vampire?" Ron questioned, his face regaining some of its color.

"I became a vampire in 2005. Four years."

"What were you before you were a vampire?" Hermione wiped her eyes.

"I…cannot say…" Harry grimaced, the strong blocks concerning his former star self tightening ever so slightly. The council, after all, could not let word get out of their existence. He blinked dazedly as the Veritaserum faded completely.

For a moment, nobody seemed to move. The Cullens behind Harry, Edward especially, looked slightly uncomfortable. Harry chewed on his lower lip.

Hermione stood up, her expression blank. Harry flinched slightly, but blinked in surprise when Hermione attacked him, her hair ending up in his mouth as her arms tried to squeeze him as tightly as she could without injuring herself. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her shoulders shaking slightly. "I don't…I can't believe…I'm so, so sorry you died…"

Harry hugged her back carefully. "It wasn't your fault Hermione," he said gently. "I'd made my decision, and if I had to go back and redo it, I wouldn't."

Ron stared at Harry in awe for a few more moment before he grinned slowly and a chuckle escaped him. "Only you, Harry," he said weakly. "These things always happen to you."

Harry pouted slightly, but smiled as Hermione let out a watery giggle. "I can see how that's true," he grumbled. He brightened suddenly. "Let me introduce you to the other members of my family. This is Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, and Edward. Edward's mine."

Hermione laughed, wiping away the tears that seemed to continue to pour. "It's nice to meet you all," she said hoarsely. "Come in, come in."

"You have a lovely home," Esme said warmly.

"It's been in the family," Ron said. He looked at Harry and grinned. "We've a lot more space now. Mione figured out how to expand the house on the inside without changing the integrity of it."

Hermione flushed, pleased. "Where are you from?" she asked the Cullens, quickly changing the subject.

The next two hours were spent explaining their lives in America. Hermione listened, fascinated, and was exceptionally happy that Harry had gotten a Muggle education. They chattered aimlessly for a long time, and his best friends introduced their five children to Harry. If he could cry, Harry would've wept when Hermione had introduced their oldest son as Harry Weasley. He hadn't known they'd named their son after him, and it touched him.

Hermione and Ron also brought him up to date with the events of the Wizarding world. So thankful that Harry had saved them, there was a statue of him in Diagon Alley. Harry cringed at that. He also found out that the small organization he'd founded for the better treatment of magical creatures in memory of Remus had grown and expanded under Molly and Arthur Weasley's care. With Arthur retired and all of their children grown, the two had worked hard to accomplish Harry's goal. It certainly explained why the complex the Cullens moved to was near Ottery St. Catchpole.

The twins' business boomed and they had stores all over the world. They were also quite wealthy and enjoyed buying bright, neon suits that they wore to every Weasley dinner. Fred had three children, two boys and a girl, and his wife, Angelina Johnson, had died three years ago when she'd been caught in the crossfire between Aurors and the last of the Death Eaters. George, on the other hand, was living the life as a bachelor and enjoyed doting on the many nieces and nephews he had.

Bill and Fleur also managed to make it to at least one Weasley dinner every couple of months with their twin boys. Bill no longer worked as a curse breaker for Gringotts, opting instead to help with the werewolf foundation since Greyback's claws had left him with a wolfish side.

Charlie was married to another dragon tamer he'd met in Romania. His husband, Matt, had opted to stay at home after they'd adopted their daughter six years ago. As far as Ron had heard, Charlie was nearing the appropriate retirement age for such a dangerous profession and had plans on moving back to Britain to be closer to his family.

Percy managed to keep his head out of his arse and still kept in touch with the family, making Molly very happy. His wife, Penelope, was currently expecting fraternal twins and because of the pregnancy, had been confined to bed rest. Still, the Weasleys always managed to find time to stop by and make sure she was eating a lot. Molly especially loved to show her Percy's baby albums and share experiences with her. Percy still hadn't quite forgiven his mother for showing his wife the picture of him running around naked with his diaper on his head.

Ginny had gotten back together and married Dean Thomas. Because of her Quidditch profession, they hadn't yet been able to have kids (much to Ron's relief, since Ginny would forever remain his little sister and, married or not, he'd hate to have to kill his old dorm mate for sullying his sister's innocence. He, of course, ignored Hermione when she pointed out that Ginny and Dean were not a virgin couple and had been married for seven years).

Harry was especially happy to hear that despite Andromeda's old age, she was still taking excellent care of Teddy who proudly boasted about his brave parents and his awesome godfather. Now that Harry was back in Britain, he could spend time with his godchildren and be there for them in a way that Sirius, though he loved the man, hadn't ever been able to be for him.

"You have to celebrate Harry Potter Day with us," Ron said, grinning widely as the clock struck one o'clock in the morning.

"Celebrate what?" Harry yelped, gaping.

Hermione laughed. "Your birthday is a national holiday," she said, chuckling at his flabbergasted expression. "There's a massive Weasley celebration every Harry Potter Day."

Harry buried his head in his hands, ignoring the laughs that elicited. "I'm probably the youngest wizard to have a holiday," he groaned. He sat up and blinked. "Am I the _only_ wizard to have a holiday?"

Ron shrugged. "Don't know, can't say that I cared to find out too much." He yawned. "Alright. I've got work in the morning—er, _later today_—and I need some sleep."

The Cullens stood as a group. "We'll come by tomorrow," Harry promised with a smile. "We actually live in the complex down the road."

Hermione grinned, her eyes becoming slightly moist as she hugged her best friend. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispered roughly before kissing him on the cheek. "We'll walk you out."

They continued to talk as they walked out the door. "And our Floo address is Veggie Vamps," Alice chirped happily. "So feel free to call us anytime."

"And she means _any_ time. It gets somewhat boring when you don't sleep," Emmett mused, much to everyone's amusement.

"Oh, wow. I've never seen so many shooting stars," Ron gasped, looking at the sky.

Harry looked up at the sky with a smile. "Pretty," he murmured, his smile turning into a grin. When he was one of those stars, he'd never thought about how the inhabitants of Earth would feel looking at shooting stars. He'd been too preoccupied in his grief.

Edward wrapped his arms around his mate, kissing his temple gently. "You should make a wish. You never know what'll happen when you wish upon a star," he said, winking at Ron and Hermione.

The Cullens laughed, confusing the two wizards.

Harry looked at his family and at the two greatest friends he could ever have in the world before glancing back at the sky. He had everything he'd ever wanted—friendship, love, family, a place to belong. Everything that before had seemed so unattainable and so far from his grasp was placed in his palm. The stars above twinkled merrily, and he winked back at them.

Edward caught his wink and pulled him down for a kiss. It was soft and sweet, expressing the love, gratefulness, happiness, and joy the two were feeling. They ignored their surrounding family coo over the shooting stars. Only the two of them existed at that moment, standing underneath the stars that had brought them together.

Harry pondered over Edward words and smiled against his mate's mouth.

Wish upon a star, indeed.

A/N: Wow. It's over. *cries* Thanks for everyone who followed me on this journey. I hope the ending meets your expectations; it's certainly made me feel happy and yet sad that this is the finale. It's the happily ever after Harry's always deserved. Gawd, I feel like bawling. I almost didn't post this chapter because I turned into a blubbering puddle of blonde, but I'm sure you all appreciate my deciding against that little thought.

To answer your questions, no, **there won't be a sequel**. Not at this time. I don't think I'll ever write one, but you never know. I will say, however, that I'll more-than-likely be writing one-shots concerning this story whenever the mood strikes and attach them as extras in this story. They'll be funny, cute, fluffy, whatever I'm feeling at the moment at varying lengths. Some scenes that I wanted in the story but decided against may even appear, you never know. Also, I may even take suggestions. If you wanted to see a certain scene and I didn't write it, let me know in a review and I may decide to add it as an extra. =) I reserve the right to deny writing anything I'll feel uncomfortable with, though, so please don't get mad.

And so, this is the end. Please review and let me know what you think.


	18. EXTRA – Alt Reunion Scene

EXTRA – Alt. Reunion Scene

Edward stared, transfixed at the sight of his lost mate before him, alive (sort of) and well. He couldn't detect a heartbeat, and Harry was paler than he'd been before, but his eyes were still the same beautiful shade of emerald green. It was confusing, but it didn't matter. Harry was there. Harry was _there_ in _front of him_. His dead heart fluttered wildly in his chest. _His Harry_ was _**THERE**_!

And then their eyes met.

The moment Harry saw him, he smiled widely and his eyes lit up. "Edward," Harry breathed, his expression becoming much more animated and filled with joy. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," Edward replied after a moment of awkward silence. He walked towards Harry, still not fully processing that his Harry was actually standing a few feet away from him.

"I, uh, got this for you," Harry said shyly, holding out the rose.

Edward could hear the collective '_Awwww_!' from the minds of many females, Alice and Rosalie included, but ignored them. He accepted the rose with a smile. "So, you're my new locker buddy?" he asked with a smile.

Harry grinned and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Mhm," he murmured happily. He nibbled on his lip slightly before his eyes narrowed and he flicked Edward on the head.

Edward blinked in shock. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?" Harry hissed in annoyance, though his eyes still contained a strong degree of happiness and relief. "That was for leaving! I was only gone a bloody week! One week!"

"How was I to know that?" Edward asked back, confusion written across his face.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to not only search the entire country for your boyfriend, but also a completely foreign country?" Harry demanded, his hands on his hips.

"Really hard?" Emmett offered with a wide grin. Edward glared at him.

"Yes, Emmett, it was extremely difficult! You left no note about where you were headed, and I had to travel around for two years!" Harry continued. "You've any idea the sort of characters I met?"

"I'm sure you'll tell us," Emmett offered, giggling when Rosalie pinched him.

"First, I took a taxi to the airport and freaked out because someone was driving on the wrong side of the road!" Harry began, oblivious to the amused crowd listening to his complaints.

"Technically, we drive on the right side," Emmett said helpfully.

"Yes, but some stupid bint visiting from Britain was driving on the left and almost hit us," Harry sneered. "Really, everyone knows Americans can be somewhat backwards!"

This comment reached many indignant ears, but no one said anything in case Harry decided to take his conversation (which was rather one-sided) with the Cullens in private.

"Then, when I get to the airport, some jackarse kid who looked around thirteen walks up to me and asks to butter my muffin. I had no such treats on me, Edward!" Harry ranted.

"He _what_?" Edward asked incredulously.

Harry fixed him with a glare. "You heard me! And even if I had a muffin on me, why the bloody hell would I want him to butter it? I don't understand this Americanism. Was he that desperate?"

"He was desperate, alright," Emmett mumbled, trying very hard to keep his laughter inside.

Jasper, feeling everyone's amusement, had no such luck. He giggled uncharacteristically, giggling harder when the humans looked at him oddly. Alice coughed delicately and Rosalie smirked.

"He's not buttering anything," Edward growled, glaring at the locker.

Harry glared at him. "Why would I want anyone buttering my muffin? I'm quite capable of doing so myself, thank you very much."

Edward opened his mouth to reply, but noticed the many eyes on him. "Harry, let's go talk in private," he said lowly, too aware of the idiotic humans laughing at his mate's expense.

They left, Harry ranting about America and everything that went wrong during his two year voyage.

A/N: Haha, as you can see, I went in a different direction in the original. Still, this made me giggle insanely, so I decided to post it as an extra. This might sound bad, but I only recently learned wth buttering a muffin/biscuit meant, so I don't think it's too outlandish for Harry to be unaware of the sexual meaning either. LOL. The next extra shall be the rest of Harry's old friends' reactions to his being a vampire and having a mate.

For those who asked: to butter a muffin is to pull out during sex and, well, shoot your little men (the butter) on the outside of either a vagina or backside (the muffin). So, yeah, rather vulgar but that's what it means. Thank goodness I wasn't the only one severely confused by the slang when I first heard it. XD


	19. EXTRA – That's Child Abuse!

EXTRA – That's Child Abuse!

"So, have you picked a name for the baby yet?" Harry asked curiously, smiling as Edward ran his fingers through his hair. Isabella had discovered that the bun in her oven was, in fact, a little girl. Harry made sure to send his little goddaughter a cute set of pink booties.

"Well, we have a few options," Isabella stated over the phone. "Hold on; I need to add this last pickle and then I can eat. I'm telling you, these cravings are the weirdest thing. I cried yesterday because we ran out of bell peppers. Harry, I _hate_ bell peppers."

Harry snorted in amusement. "My best friend Mione had weird cravings, too. She seemed especially fond of turkey, mozzarella cheese, and crab meat sandwiches. They weren't too bad, actually…"

Edward made a funny face, but continued to work his fingers into Harry's nest of hair. Harry sighed contentedly, melting into a puddle of goo on his mate's lap.

Isabella giggled. "Well, for names, we were thinking of maybe combining a few. His mother's name is Sarah; she died in a car crash when he was really young. We wanted to maybe add his mom's name and my mom's name. Which do you think would sound better; Sarée or Reneah?"

Harry choked on nothing. "Um, do you have any other options?" he asked as gently as he could.

"Yeah, a few more," Isabella said, her voice muffled as she obviously talked with food in her mouth. "Jacob wanted to give the baby my name, but I'd rather not."

"Why?" Harry frowned slightly. "Bella and Isabella aren't bad names."

"I'd just rather not," Isabella said dismissively. "He wanted the baby to be Sarabella."

Harry's brows scrunched in confusion. "It could be worse," he offered. "It has a sort of ring to it…"

Edward snorted, shaking his head and jerking his thumb across the air in front of his neck. Harry looked at him helplessly.

"Anabella would be nice," Isabella mused.

Harry smiled. Finally, a decent name. "That's very pretty," he told her warmly.

"I really like the name Esme, though." Isabella made a thoughtful noise.

"Esme is also a good name for a baby."

"But, I'd really like to name the baby after one of my parents." Isabella hummed. "Do you think Charlina is bad?"

"W-Well…" Harry pulled the phone away and shook it, shaking his head and mouthing, 'Don't do it!'

"There's just so many names to pick from," Isabella complained.

Harry didn't want to offend her by telling her that she should never, ever, name something, but couldn't really find a polite way to say it. "Does Jacob like all of these names?"

He could hear the frown in her voice as she said, "He makes weird faces at some of my suggestions. They just take some getting used to, is all…"

"Ever hear of a baby book?" Edward murmured lowly. Harry nudged his side.

"Ah! I know the perfect name!" Isabella squealed.

Harry paled, if it were at all possible for a vampire. "What is it?" he practically whimpered.

"Renesmee," Isabella said proudly.

Harry dropped the phone. He took a deep breath before picking it up again and speaking, "Bella, in the name of all that is holy, do not name your child that."

Isabella paused. "Why not?" she asked, pouting despite the fact that he couldn't see it.

"Bella, that's like child abuse! The poor girl is never going to live up to her name!" Harry argued, his tone as soft and convincing as he could make it.

"I guess so…" Isabella sighed glumly. "I have to go, Harry. I'll call you in an hour after the baby stops kicking my bladder."

They exchanged quiet goodbyes and Harry shook his head as he hung up. "Renesmee?" he asked, eyes wide in horror. "Who names their child Renesmee?"

Edward shrugged. "It kinda grows on you," he admitted with a small grimace.

Harry looked at him dryly. "The only way that name could ever appeal to someone is if they were drunk or high. And possibly have damaged brain cells."

Edward bristled slightly. "I have neither, but you have to admit, the name is kind of cute."

Harry sighed and patted his head before standing. "You're never naming any kids we adopt," he informed him before walking out of the bedroom.

A/N: Sorry. I had to put this extra before the other reactions. So, yup, just poking fun of the name Renesmee. If you like it, well, there are baby books with loads of names. =D LOL, jk. Reviews would be cake, and I'm having a rather strong sweet tooth craving. (hint hint) Next extra will be the reactions; pinky promise.


	20. EXTRA  Demon!

EXTRA - Demon!

For the first time in his life, Edward believed he met a true, corrupting monster.

Harry had spent a long time convincing the vampire that Edward wasn't a monster, not that he minded. (Honestly, as soon as Harry had put on that suit and demanded to be called Professor Potter, Edward's mind had reduced to a puddle of goo and he was ready to be collared if Harry so wished it. Needless to say, Edward needed to be thoroughly convinced. Their broken headboard was proof of that.) Still, it hadn't taken long for his beloved to convince him that he would never be a monster in the raven's beautiful emerald eyes.

That being said, Edward stared at the tiny bundle with cautious, knowing eyes. Harry, Isabella, Jacob, and pretty much everyone he associated with assured him that the bundle was, indeed, a harmless baby. He wasn't fooled, though. He knew without a doubt that the tiny creature in front of him wasn't a baby but was, in fact, a manipulative evil demon straight from the pit of Hell.

Edward glared as the baby giggled, half expecting fire to come out of it's mouth. He silently cursed his bad luck. If only Harry hadn't given him the irresistible puppy eyes and a promise involving his sexy mate, a skirt, and a pair of furry handcuffs, Edward would be as far away from the demon as possible. It looked at him with its small, brown eyes that Edward knew were part of it's disguise. It wanted everyone to think there was nothing wrong with it, but Edward knew the truth.

"Alright, brat, it's just us here," Edward told it sternly, glaring at it. "You can fool everyone, but you won't fool me. Now, hand over my cell phone, and I won't give you back to your mutt of a father in little pieces."

The Demon giggled again, clenching Edward's cell phone tightly in it's hands with an evil glint in it's eyes. The vampire watched impatiently as the Demon made to give him back his phone. He slowly extended his hand, trying to convince the Demon to return him his property. It was within his reach when the Demon coughed before spitting up putrid, white liquid on his phone.

"NO!" he shrieked, snatching the phone out of the Demon's hands, grimacing at the vile stench and proceeding to clean it with the Demon's bib.

Surprised at the sudden movement, the Demon began to wail. Edward glared at it. "I should be the one crying right now," he grumbled, poking it's belly in an attempt to shut it up.

The Demon paused in it's crying, stared at the offensive finger, before opening it's mouth and screaming louder than before. Edward hissed and clutched his ears, his eyes frantically searching for God's gift to Demon sitters-a pacifier. He saw the offensively Pepto Bismol pink item and without a moment's hesitation gave it to the Demon.

The Demon seemed to be placated for a moment, rubbing its eyes sleepily. It blinked for a few moments before it's face seemed to scrunch in concentration. The Demon's eyes watered and it's face began to turn red. Edward watched in horrid fascination as a horrible sound reached his ears followed by a nauseating stench.

"UGH! Dear God, it's like mustard gas!" he cried, slapping his hand over his mouth and nose in an effort to save himself. The stench seemed to have messed with his brain, because he could've sworn his perfect vampiric vision became disoriented for a few moments.

When he focused on the Demon once more, his glare quickly evolved into a look of surprise. The Demon was gone. But where did it...?

He heard a giggle and a loud crash in the kitchen. Without a moment's hesitation, Edward ran towards the Demon and blinked in astonishment. It had managed to climb onto the kitchen table and push off the bowl of plastic fruit Esme had placed.

"How did you...?" Edward shook his head, glaring at the demon. "Get over here. Let's get rid of that weapon in your diaper before you poison the air."

The Demon had the audacity to giggle.

He picked it up carefully, carrying it at arm's length all the way to the living room where its bag of disinfectants were. Edward had the human urge to gag as he changed the diaper. Thinking quickly, he retrieved the holy water Emmett had given him as a gag gift. He sprinkled some of the water on the baby, hissing, "Begone!"

It was then, of course, that Harry walked through the door. He took one look at his mate, the bottle of holy water, and his goddaughter, and his happy demeanor immediately frosted over.

"What are you doing?" Harry demanded, snatching his goddaughter away from Edward and checking her over. "I leave you for ten minutes and...were you seriously sprinkling holy water on her?"

Edward paled at the anger in Harry's voice. He hurried to explain himself. "I was just...you see, what happened was...what I mean to say is...the thing is...she's a demon!"

Harry didn't look impressed. "You're over a century old, and you say an innocent baby...is a demon?"

Edward swallowed thickly. "B-but..."

Harry sighed and arranged his goddaughter so that her head was on his shoulder. "You're not getting anything from me."

"No!" Edward protested. "She's evil, Harry!"

Harry walked away, shaking his head.

Edward pouted, resisting the urge to stomp his feet. Elizabeth Black lifted her head and caught Edward's eyes. Then a tiny smirk danced across her face and she winked.

Edward gaped in disbelief before he let out a growl and stormed out of the house.

Demon!


End file.
